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to be the Perfon who fhould receive it; "therefore, in Allufion hereto, the Apostle fays this Bleffing is not of or from him "that willeth, as Abraham or Ifaac, who "willed as above; nor of or from him that "runneth, as Efau did; but of or from God "that fheweth Mercy, or beftows his tem"poral Bleffings as he thinks fit."

Ver. 17. For the fcripture faith unto Pharaoh, Even for this fame purpose have I raised thee up, that I might fhew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Ver. 18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom be will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

This Inftance of God's Dealing with Pharaoh the Apostle brings in as an Example of God's Juftice and Judgments upon a continued Rebellion and Difobedience, whereby Men may bring themselves into fuch a harden'd State, through their own Fault, that all the Means whether of Mercies or Judgments are thrown away upon them: And fuch a State he look'd upon many of his Brethren the Jews to be, at least, in Danger of, if not altogether irreclaimable; as was alfo the Cafe of Jerufalem, when our Saviour beheld it and wept over it, faying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes.

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By which it appears, that by a long Course of Difobedience and Rebellion a Man may fin paft his Day of Grace, and be fo far harden'd that neither Mercies nor Judgments will reclaim him, fo that he may provoke God to withdraw from him the Strivings of his Spirit; for his Spirit fhall not always ftrive with man: Wherefore St. Paul gives fuch of the Jews a Caution (whom he hop'd were yet reclaimable) in this Inftance of Pharaoh, who being harden'd thro' a Course of continued Wickedness, and become irreclaimable, God chufes him as a fit Inftrument, not only to fhew him his Power, whofe Authority he had fo long despis'd, but alfo to make him an Example to all the Earth; which Example the Apostle willeth the Jews to remember, left God fhould alfo, by their continued Rebellions and Refiftances of the Methods of their Salvation, make them alfo the like terrible Examples of his Juftice and Judgments.

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Not that God intentionally harden'd Pharaoh, even in the Judgments that he sent upon Egypt, and by the Removal of them but foreseeing what Effects these Judgments and Mercies would have upon him, God therefore foretels Mofes the Events of them, when he fays to Mofes, I will harden Pharaoh's heart, or permit it to be fo harden'd, that he fhall not let Ifrael go: So that it is as if he had faid, I know that the Means I E fhall

fhall ufe with Pharaoh, through his own Abuse, will harden his Heart fo that he will not let Ifrael go. Wherefore, as there are fome fuch Objects of his Juftice and Difpleasure, that have by a long Course of Difobedience and Rebellion excluded themselves from Mercy, does it follow that he shall have Mercy upon none? And because the Jews may be caft off upon the aforefaid Account, fhall not the Gentiles receive Mercy that accept of its Offers? Yes, certainly, if the Jews refufe the Offers of his Mercy in Chrift, and the Gentiles accept them, he will have Mercy on the one, and must neceffarily leave the other to a harden'd corrupt Will. Thus has he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will be bardeneth.

Ver. 19. Thou wilt fay then unto me, Why doth be yet find fault? for who bath refifted his will? or, as fome tranflate it, Who hath difobey'd his law?

Now the Nature of this Objection, which the Apostle forefees would be readily made against him, may be this; If God has fet up a new Difpenfation, which neither we nor our Fathers were acquainted with, unto which alone he has promifed to fhew Mercy, what becomes of the Privileges and Advantages of the Covenant made with our Fathers, which we were born Heirs to, and therefore rely upon? And if God reject us

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for this, because we will not accept of new Terms, which our Fathers knew not, how can he find fault with us, who keep close to the Law and the Covenants formerly deliver'd to them? with refpect to which how or wherein have we difobey'd his Law, or refifted his Will?

In Anfwer to this Objection, the Apostle in the next Verfe endeavours to filence all fuch Cavils, by fhewing, that God, who formed us, has the fole Power of governing us, and giving us fuch Laws. as are only con-fiftent with his own Wisdom, and tend to our Happiness if we be governed by them, and to our Deftruction if we refift and difobey them.

Ver. 20. Nay, but, O Man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed fay to him that formed it, Why haft thou made me thus?

Ver. 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the fame lump to make one veel to honour, and another to dishonour?

Thus by a familiar Example of the Potter's Power over and Proceedings with his Clay, the Apostle maintains God's Right of proceeding with his Creatures: In which he alludes to the Prophet Jeremiah's being fent down to the Potter's Houfe, where the Prophet obferves a Work upon the Wheel; * and the vessel that he made of clay was marred in

* Jer. xviii. 1,---6.

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the hand of the potter; fo he made it again another veffel, as feemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to the prophet, faying, O houfe of Ifrael, cannot I do with you as this potter? faith the Lord: behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, fo are ye in my hand, O houfe of Ifrael.

Thus it is certain, as the Potter has Power of the fame Lump of Clay, to make one Veffel to Honour and another to Difhonour; that for his own Benefit he will endeavour to make it all into Veffels of Honour, being most for his Advantage; and therefore will not defignedly make any of it into Veffels to Difhonour: But if in the forming of it, it fhould break on the Wheel, and thereby fruftrate his Purpose, that he cannot make it fuch a Veffel as he defign'd, he must then turn it into fuch a Veffel as it will make: And thus if ye Jews, by wilful Difobedience, fruftrate God's Defign in making you Veffels to Honour, fo that hereupon he unwillingly, as the Potter, turns you into Veffels to Difhonour, How can you then afk, Why God has made you thus? The Answer is plain, Because ye would be no better Veffels.

The remaining Part of this Chapter is continued in the fame Vindication of God's Proceedings with the Rebellious and the Obedient, whether Jews or Gentiles; as in

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