throwing all things, in a perverse and mischievous manner, into one general scene of disorder and confusion. Thus the wicked reason in this passage: "What cause has God to be angry with us, since he has made us such as we are, and drives us where he chooses, according to his irresistible nod? What does God effect by our ruin and destruction, save the avenging of his own work in us? It is not for us to wage war with the Almighty; for, though we should resist and oppose him with all our powers, he will still gain a complete victory. Our ruin, therefore, will afford a striking proof of the iniquity of his judgment, and his treatment of us is only distinguished by the abuse of his immoderate and unbridled power.' Hear Paul's answer to these vile accusations. Nay, but, O man, who art thou?" Who art thou that enterest into a dispute and contention with God?" Paul, in this first answer, taking his argument from the state and condition of man, merely checks the wickedness of the blasphemy of his opponent. Paul will soon adduce another reason by which he will vindicate the justice of God from every charge. Paul evidently assigns no cause superior o the will of God. Paul might easily have answered, by showing the difference between the two characcers to be founded on just grounds; why, then, has e not recourse to so compendious a manner of creating his adversaries, while he assigns the highest place to the will of God, as being in itself sufficient, without any addition, to stand in the place of all causes? Paul would not have neglected refuting the objection, that God reprobates or elects, according to his own will, those whom he does not honour with is favour, or love gratuitously, had he considered it o be false. The impious object, that men are exempted from guilt, if the will of God has the chief part in the salvation of the elect, or destruction the reprobate. Does Paul deny it? Nay; h answer confirms this truth-that God determines 1 do with mankind what he pleases, and that men ris up with unavailing fury to contest it, since th Maker of the world assigns to his creatures, by h own right, whatever lot he chooses. Great dis honour is put on the Holy Ghost by calumniator who assert that Paul, being unable to answer th objections of his adversaries, has recourse to re proach. For Paul was unwilling to adduce, in th beginning, arguments which were at hand, and cal culated to maintain and assert the justice of Go because they could not be fully understood. Nay the apostle so manages his second argument, a not to enter into a full defence, since he will demor strate the justice of God to such of us as conside and weigh his evidence with religious humility an reverence. He adopts the most suitable plan, b admonishing man of his condition, to the followin effect: Why should you, who are a man, and a knowledge yourself to be dust and ashes, conten with the Lord of infinite honour and glory concer ing a subject, which you are unable to understand The apostle did not adduce all that could be a vanced on this subject, but accommodated himse to our ignorance. Human pride is discontente because Paul asserts, without assigning a cause, th men are rejected or reprobated by the secret couns of the Lord of life, as if the silence of the Spirit God arose from an inability to produce a reaso Does not the Spirit of Truth admonish us, by h silence, of the deep reverence with which we oug to adore a mystery that our finite mental faculti cannot comprehend? Does he not thus curb t vain pride of human curiosity? Let man, therefor learn that the Source of all knowledge does not r 66 frain from addressing us on this deep mystery on any other account, but the clearness with which he sees that the immensity of his wisdom* cannot be comprehended by our limited capacities, and, in pity o our weakness, he invites us to the exercise of nodesty and sobriety. Shall the thing formed, &c.Paul continues to insist on our considering the will of God to be just, although the reason may be conealed from our view. For Paul proves that God is leprived of his right, if he does not freely determine concerning his creatures according to his pleasure. This may appear harsh to some delicate ears. Some consider that God is much dishonoured by bestowing pon him such an unlimited will. Is the pride of hese divines to be preferred to the simplicity of Paul, who lays it down as a mark of the humility of elievers, to fix their attention steadily upon the ower of an infinite arm, and not limit its operations y their own weak judgment? Hath not the potter power?—The reason, why the hing formed ought not to contend with him that orms it, arises from the latter acting only according o his just right. The word power does not mean that he potter has strength and vigour to act according to unbridled appetite and desire," but is possessed f a faculty to act with the " greatest rectitude.” 'aul does not wish to confer on the Judge of quick nd dead an inordinate power, but such as he is astly and deservedly entitled to use. As the potter n 66 * Wherein doth God's wisdom consist? In perfect knowledge of all things that either are, or ight be. In what sort doth God know all things? Doth he, as we o, see one thing after another? No, but with one sight, he continually beholdeth all things istinctly, whether they be past, present, or to come.-Archishop Usher's Brief Method of Christian Religion. takes nothing from the clay, into whatever form h may mould it, so eternal justice takes nothing from the state and condition in which man was created We ought, however, never to forget that God i robbed of part of his honour, if he does not enjo such power over man, as to be the Arbiter of life and death? 22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endureth with much long suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction 23 And that he might make known the riches of hi glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afor prepared unto glory? What if-Paul briefly proves, in this second an swer, that, however incomprehensible the counsel o God is in predestination, no more complaints can be made against the destruction of the reprobates than the salvation of the elect. Paul does not assign such a cause for divine election, as to give a satis factory reason for the election of one individual and of the reprobation of another. For it would have been unworthy of the character of Deity to expose t human censure those truths, which are concealed in the secret counsel of unerring and infinite Wisdom, since no revelation was ever to take place of this inscrutable mystery. The apostle, while he prevents his readers from curiously investigating those subjects, which transcend and elude the grasp and range of human intellect, clearly shows that justice alone manifests itself in the predestination of unerring wisdom and holiness. This whole sentence is interrogative, and the following meaning is under stood: "Who can accuse God of injustice, or appoint a day for his trial? In every proceeding of inerring Love, nothing presents itself to the view of he observer, but the strictest rule and principle of ustice." In carefully examining the language of Paul, for the purpose of ascertaining his meaning nore fully, the following chain of reasoning presents tself: "Vessels are prepared, that is, devoted and destined to destruction; there are also vessels of vrath, namely, made and formed for the very pur›ose, that they may be proofs of the vengeance and ndignation of the Most High. What is there to be lamed in this dispensation of infinite Justice, if the Lord bears with them for some time with patience, vithout immediately inflicting the judgment preared for them, and thus affords clear proofs of his everity, which are calculated to affright others by uch awful examples; while the extent of his mercy o the elect is made more evident by such a proceure in his divine providence? The cause, why essels are fitted for destruction, is concealed in the ternal and inscrutable counsel of God; and it beomes the worms of the dust to adore, and not to crutinize, the justice of the Supreme Being. God isplays his pity and compassion by the vessels of ercy, whom he uses as instruments of his conescending love; the reprobate are vessels of wrath, ince they are the servants of the Lord, employed in isplaying his judgments. That he might make known the riches-Paul here ssigns the second reason, by which God's glory is anifested in the destruction of the wicked, because he fulness and extent of the divine goodness towards he elect is more clearly and completely confirmed. For what respect are the elect made to differ from the eprobates, but in their deliverance by the Lord from he same whirlpool of destruction? Nor is this wonerful and miraculous deliverance effected by any eculiar and special merit of their own, but by the |