Who Have Mercy, and Who Are Hardened.
“For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.” “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.” Rom. ix, 15, 16, 18. The Scriptures plainly show the character of the persons on whom the Lord will have mercy and compassion. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isa. liv, 7. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Prov. xxviii, 13. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. xi, 28. “God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.” Acts x, 34, 35. If language can express anything, it leaves no possible doubt respecting the persons on whom the Lord will have mercy and compassion. The sixteenth verse in the passages shows that “willing” and “running” are not the causes of salvation, but the conditions on which it is received. A brief comparison will explain the subject. Suppose a man of wealth should prepare a table with plenty of wholesome food, and then give the information to a number of starving persons, who have not, and are not able to procure food, that if they will eat they may have as much as they need, for nothing. It is, therefore, certain that neither their willingness to eat, nor their eating, procures or pays for the provisions; yet both the willingness and the eating are necessary conditions, but the food is of the wealthy man who shows mercy. It is also evident that if those persons starve, it is their own fault. So all the provisions of the gospel were made for the race before they came into the world, on conditions of faith and obedience, or of willing and running; and although both of these together cannot merit salvation, yet the want of either of them is sufficient to ruin the soul. In reference to the 18th verse, I have only to show whom God will harden; having before shown upon whom he will have mercy. According to the gospel by Paul, God will indirectly harden those who continue to rebel against him. The following passage illustrates the point: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to four-footed beasts and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Rom. i, 21, 25. From this passage it appears that God gave them up to uncleanness and vile affections, not because he had predestinated them to be wicked, but because of their own willful rebellion against him. Again the apostle asserts, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” 2 Thess. ii, 9-11. From this passage it is also evident that God sends men “strong delusions,” not because God hath predestinated them to wickedness, but because they receive not the truth in the love of it. Therefore although these errors and delusions of infidelity have ruined many, to them must be ascribed their destruction, as they brought these delusions entirely upon themselves, without any decree to that effect by their heavenly Father.—Herald of Gospel Liberty.