Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

had he only intended to demolish the pride of the Jews, and flat their opinion of merit, and aimed no higher than that Providential act of God; he might, convincingly enough to the reason of men, have argued from the Justice of God, provoked by the obstinacy of the Jews, and not have had recourse to his absolute Will; but since he asserts this latter,^* the strength of his argument seems to lie thus; if God by his absolute sovereignty may resolve, and fix his love upon Jacob and estrange it from Esau, or any other of his Creatures before they have done good or evil, and man have no ground to call his infinite Majesty to account, may he not deal thus with the Jews, when their demerit would be a bar to any complaints of the Creature against him? If God were considered here in the quality of a Judge, it had been fit to have considered the matter of Fact in the Criminal; but he is considered as a Sovereign, rendering no other reason of his action but his own Will, whom he will he hardens, ver. 18. And then the Apostle concludes. Ver. 20. Who art thou, O Man, that replyest against God? If the reason drawn from Gods Sovereignty, doth not satisfy in this enquiry, no other reason can be found, wherein to acquiesce? For the last condemnation there will be sufficient reason to clear the Justice of his proceedings. But in this case of Election, no other reason but what is alleged, viz. The Will of God, can be thought of, but what is liable to such knotty exceptions, that cannot well be untied.

had he only intended to demolish the pride of the Jews, and flat their opinion of merit, and aim'd no higher than that Providential act of God; he might, convincingly enough to the reason of men, have argued from the Justice of God, provoked by the obstinacy of the Jews, and not have had recourse to his absolute Will; but since he asserts this latter,^* the strength of his argument seems to lie thus; if God by his absolute soveraignty may resolve, and fix his love upon Jacob and estrange it from Esau, or any other of his Creatures before they have done good or evil, and man have no ground to call his infinite Majesty to account, may he not deal thus with the Jews, when their demerit would be a barr to any complaints of the Creature against him? If God were considered here in the quality of a Judge, it had been fit to have considered the matter of Fact in the Criminal; but he is considered as a Soveraign, rendring no other reason of his action but his own Will, whom he will he hardens, ver. 18. And then the Apostle concludes. Ver. 20. Who art thou, O Man, that replyest against God? If the reason drawn from Gods Soveraignty, doth not satisfie in this enquiry, no other reason can be found, wherein to acquiesce? For the last condemnation there will be sufficient reason to clear the Justice of his proceedings. But in this case of Election, no other reason but what is alledg'd, viz. The Will of God, can be thought of, but what is liable to such knotty exceptions, that cannot well be untyed.