Vessels Of Wrath And Vessels Of Mercy

The Substance Of Three Sermons Preached By Alfred Hewlett At Astley Chapel, In The Parish Of Leigh, March 9th, 1834.

Preface

I would beg to acquaint the Christian Reader of the following pages, that I preached the Sermons of which they form the substance, at the particular request of some brethren in the Lord, who were de­sirous of hearing a scriptural exposition of these verses. I bless God that I have been enabled to study, preach, and send forth my discourses in a spirit of prayer and submission, as opposite to my natural dispo­sition as light is to darkness. My reasons for printing are, a desire to he useful to the people of God, and to prevent perversion and misre­presentation; or, at all events, by printing as nearly as possible, the positions, assertions, and expressions, proved and made use of, to afford all an opportunity of judging for themselves. As the sermons were all preached extempore, I am dependent on memory, and a few de­tached notes, for the following pages, which may the Lord bless, as far as they are agreeable to the truth, for His own name’s sake.

Romans 9:22-25: “What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath afore prepared unto glory, even us, who he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”

As you are most of you acquainted with the providence of God, which has led me to the subject contained in the verses just read for this day’s meditation, I shall say few words by way of introduction, but proceed to the con­sideration of my text; I must, however, premise, that the truths contained in these verses are most repugnant to human nature, for they aim a blow at the pride of human reason, and sweep away all our boasted free-will and power in spiritual matters; and, therefore, during the last 1,400 years, the ingenuity, and carnal wisdom of mankind, hath been employed in endeavouring so to pervert this and other parts of Holy Writ, as to lay a plan of salvation in which the will of man should have the power of decision: but although many such schemes have been devised, and carefully and industriously propagated, yet they have not satis­fied even those who profess to believe and teach them. Again, before proceeding to the exposition of these words, I would observe, that I cannot boast of any “enticing words,” or persuasive eloquence, “of man’s wisdom,” (and God forbid that a minister of the gospel should boast or glory in anything of the sort,) but to the praise of my God, I may declare, that he has given me such an uncompromising spirit, and unflinching determination to deliver the whole truth, that, relying on his strength, I would not shrink though Satan himself with all his legion, his children and his servants stood before me; and I do trust that, whatever is wanting in eloquence, there will be no lack of scripture reference.

I shall endeavour to unfold the truths wrapped up in my text,—

1st—By an examination of the context.

2nd—By proving, that God is an absolute sovereign.

3rd.—By shewing, that it is the will of God to display his glorious attributes and perfections, and therefore that he purposes, decrees, or determines, in himself, everything that shall take place.

4th.—That in the fulfillment of these his righteous decrees, he goes forth in the act of creation, especially in the creation of the human race, forming some as vessels to honor, recipients of mercy, and some to dishonour, recipients of wrath.

5th.—That the vessels of wrath are “fitted to destruction,” and the vessels of mercy “afore prepared to glory.”

6th.—That the vessels of wrath are endured with much long-suffering, but into the vessels of mercy the riches of the glory of his grace are made known.

7th—I shall give instances of those vessels of mercy who have been called, both of the Jews and also of the Gentiles.

8th.—Point out the advantages arising from the knowledge of this doctrine; and 

Lastly.—Notice contrary schemes and objections; and may God the Holy Ghost, without whose aid we can neither speak, nor hear, to profit, graciously be pleased to enlighten our understandings and romaine our prejudices, that we may be strengthened, established, settled, in this glorious truth!

In proceeding, as proposed, to examine the context, (and it is undoubtedly necessary to attend to the context, with regard to every passage of script coming under our notice, as there is not an error, heresy, or mal-practice, but many be supported from scripture, if no reference is made to the context,) we find that the Apostle begins the chapter with exclamations of grief, on account of the unbelieving Jews; in verse 2nd you read, “I could wish myself accurs­ed from Christ for my brethren,” &c. by this I do not understand that the Apostle could wish to give up his interest in Christ, but would rather read the words in a parenthesis, and translate _____, I used to wish myself, which does no violence to the original, and then the sense will be, I have great heaviness of heart for my brethren the Jews, for I well know what a state they are in, having formerly wished myself, as they do now wish themselves, accursed from Christ. In the 6th verse he replies to an objector, who might say the faith of God is not sufficient or effectual, seeing that all Israel are not saved, by saying, all are not (spiritual) Israel, who are the seed of Israel after the flesh; in the 7th, 8th, and 9th verses he instances in the family of Abraham, the seed of the bond-woman and of the free, but, lest some one might object that the cause of the difference was, that one was of a concubine, the other of the married wife, he produces the twin brothers Esau and Jacob, sprung from the same womb at the same time, and shews, 1st, that God’s declaration concerning them was “before they were born;” 2nd, that it was “that the purpose of God according to election, might stand, notices the au­thor of the difference “of him that calleth.” In the 14th verse he meets one of the objections of the present day, then God is unrighteous or unjust, to which he replies, God’s will is the only rule of right and wrong, “as he said to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,” &c. In the 19th verse he mentions another objection, founded on his answer to the former, which is, why does God find fault if his will be the only rule and his will can­ not be defeated? and in the 20th verse replies to this objection with “nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?” he then illustrates his position, and proves the absolute sovereignty of God, by a similitude taken from the potter and the clay, and then, in the verses I have read for my text, he proceeds, to shew the reason why God makes a difference, and that he punishes no man until he has endured him with much long-suffering.

In the next place I am to make it evident, from the Word of God, that Jehovah is an absolute Sovereign.

By sovereign, I understand that he is omnipotent, and exercises uncontrolable power, dominion, and govern­ment, over angels, men, beasts, and devils; that all the universe—the sun in the firmament, and the waves of the sea—animate and inanimate nature—move at his command; and by absolute I mean, that his own will or pleasure is the only role by which he exercises this his great power.

If you will turn to 1 Chron. 29:11, 12, you will find the Holy Ghost, by David, ascribing supreme power to God in this beautiful address—“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the the earth is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all; both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all: and in thine hand is power and might, and in thine hands it is to make great and to give strength to all.” In Psalm 62:11, the same divinely inspired penman writes—“God hath spoken once, yea, twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God.” In Matt. 6:13, our blessed Redeemer, in that prayer which he gave his disciples as a model for their prayers, taught them to ascribe power into God, say, “Thine is the power,” &c. In Rev. 5:13, all creation is represented ascribing co-equal and undivided power to God and the Lamb; and in Rev. 19:1, it is stated, that the “voice of much people was heard in heaven, singing alleluia: salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, into the Lord our God.” In Ps. 145:13, it is declared, that, “his dominion endureth throughout all generations, and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.” In Ps. 67:4, it is said, that “God shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.” in Dan. 4:33, 34, you have the same testimony from the mouth of Nebuchad­nezzar, who was compelled to “set to his seal” to the same truth; and in the 7:14, you have an account of eternal dominion, and an everlasting kingdom, being given to Christ as mediator; and in the 27, of the same chapter, it is declared that this same kingdom is given to the saints of the Most High, for whom Christ, as Son of Man, had received it. You have thus brought before you Old Tes­tament saints. New Testament believers, angels, a heathen prince, and all creation, declaring the important truth that God is supreme.

In the next place, to illustrate the term absolute which I have used, I must needs quote many scriptures; for, al­though most persons will allow that God possesses infinite power, yet they can by no means agree to the fact, that God is independent in the exercise of the same; they will not have the God of the Scriptures, but one that is the creation of their own fancy: and rather than consider God as being moved by his own most righteous will alone, they choose to represent him as a being as changeable as a man. But observe, my brethren, if Jehovah be not entirely independent in his actions, moved by his own good pleasure only, salvation is suspended on a peradventure, dependent on the changeable will of the creature,—the death of the Redeemer of less avail than the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, and his blood of less efficacy than that of bulls and goats; but “let God be true, and every man a liar;” yea, says every heaven-taught soul, let me be proved the chief of liars, but let the truth of God stand out in all the beauty of consistency. In Job 33:13, it is declared, “He giveth no account of any of his matters.” In Psalm 33:11, “The counsel (or plan or design) of the Lord standeth for ever,” cannot be defeated or changed. In Psalm 15:3, “Our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he pleased.” In Psalm 135:6, “Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and in earth, in all deep places and in the seas.” In Prov. 29:21, “The counsel of the Lord, that shall stand,” and in 21:30, “There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, against the Lord.” In Isaiah 44:10, Jehovah declares, “My coun­sel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” In Daniel 4:35, Nebuchadnezzar confesses that, God “doeth ac­cording to his will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, nor say, what doest Thou?” And in Eph. 1:11, the Holy Ghost, by Paul, testifies that he “worketh all things according to the counsel of his will.” These passages of holy writ form an incontrovertible basis on which to build the truth of the absolute sovereignty of God; and, in proportion as you bear this important truth in mind, you will be able to see the whole truth of God in its perfection. 

I shall now proceed to make manifest, that in the exer­cise of this absolute sovereignty, and to exhibit his attri­butes and perfections to, by, and in his creatures, Jehovah, it eternity, purposed, decreed, and determined in himself, all things that should come to pass;—and here I would observe, that although we may make distinctions on account of our limited conceptions between various acts, ascribed to God, yet there is no such distinction in God, but all arise from the exercise of infinite wisdom: for instance, some persons will say, God foreknows all things (for they cannot deny this without robbing him of his Godhead,) but does not decree or immutably fix all things, but this is to exalt some other power to the throne of God, for if God certainly foreknows that any event will take place, it is because he has so fixed and arranged it, or because some other power has done so; but God says in Isa. 44:8, “Is there a God beside me? yea, I know not any;” but if God’s foreknowledge of events it only that they may probably take place, then that cause or event, moving power or impulse, which brings about such event, whether it be the will of man, or some unforeseen occur­rence, is exalted into the place of God. Thus, you must either deny that God possesses omniscience, and that he knows all his works from the beginning, or allow that he hath ordered all things. For, if God foreknew Adam’s fall into sin, and had before appointed a Saviour, and by his “determinate counsel’’ had given him up to death, then the fall of Adam was sure to take place, although such a decree does not take away either freedom of action or the responsibility of the creature. But when we consider that it is God’s will, pleasure, or delight to shew his wrath and power and the riches of his glory; and that on this is founded his decree, and from thence flows his foreknow­ledge, our narrow capacities and shallow intellects can easily perceive how it is that he knows all things: and this is merely shewing you “heavenly things” after the manner of “earthly things.” For when Nebuchadnezzar would have all men worship the God of Daniel, he makes a decree, and therefore knows that all will do so, as far as his autho­rity has weight and influence; and so God, having all power in heaven and earth, knows that all things, even to the “stormy wind and rain,” are fulfilling his pleasure. Again, I would remark, that many persons are willing to allow that God has decreed, fixed, and arranged, all things of a spiritual nature, but none of a temporal nature: but, my dear brethren this arises from your making a separation between things which God hath joined together; for how is it possible to consider the spiritual interests of God’s people, without reference to their temporal state and con­dition. I would refer such persons to the account in Acts 27, of Paul’s voyage and shipwreck, to the selling of Joseph into Egypt, and the life of our most glorious Christ. But let us now prove the assertion made in this division of our subject from the “sure word of prophecy, unto which we shall do well to take heed.” In Rom, 11:36, we read, “of him, and through him, and to him are all things.” In Acts 15: 18, we read, “known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” In Eph. 1:4-6, we read of the choice of some individuals from the mass of mankind, considered in their pure state, and of their pre­destination to the adoption of children. In Rom. 8:29, 30, we read that the same individuals were “predesti­nated to be conformed to the image of his dear Son.” In Thess. 2:13, 14, we read that “God had from the beginning chosen them to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth and this includes their birth in time, the bringing them under the sound of the gospel, the application of the word with power, and its consequent effects. In Jude 4, you find that some were or­dained to condemnation: and in 1 Peter, 2:8, we find that some were appointed to “stumble at this stumbling stone,” even Christ. I shall not multiply quotations here, as, from what has been said, it must be evident to all, that the actions of God, in the events which take place, are only the execution of his infinitely wise designs. You can consult at your leisure the 17th article of our Church. I pass on to observe,

4thly.—That in the fulfilment of these his designs and everlasting purposes, Jehovah goes forth in the act of creating beings of the human race, some as vessels of wrath to dis­honour, and some as vessels of mercy to glory; on this head I shall be very brief, referring you to the second and third chapters of Genesis for an account of the crea­tion of our first parents, which was by the direct act of God, and desiring to bring to your mind, that not an indi­vidual of the human race draws the breath of life, but the power of God has been put forth in the formation of such individual; for proof of this read the language of Jacob in Gen. 30:2, and the prayer of Hannah and its answer is 1 Sam. 1:3. But I must call your attention to the striking similitude used by the Apostle is our test; a Potter from one and the same lump of clay makes vessels to honorable uses, for the parlour or the drawing room, or to dishonorable uses for the kitchen, or the shop, these vessels have no power to choose, in the act of forming, unto which use they will be made; more, when they are so made, are they filed without some external act, agency, or power employed, and thus it is with us, whether God has formed us to exhibit his wrath or to make known the riches of his glory, it is for his own good pleasure, “for thy pleasure they are and were created.” The Lord hath made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of evil. Prov 16:4, and in 2 Thess. 2 the character and punishment of the vessels of wrath is declared as in 1 Thess. 1., the filling of the vessels of mercy is beautifully described. In entering on the fifth head or division of my subject, namely, the consideration of the word which declare that on the one hand the “vessels of wrath” are “fitted for destruction,” and those of mercy “afore prepared to glory,” I have no doubt but I shall offend many, for this is indeed the most offensive truth to human nature, but I will not shrink to declare it on that account, but will even begin, where the adversaries of the truth begin, with what is commonly called reprobation—a term which 30 years years since was commonly used by Divines of our own Church, but is in the present day frightful to many of God’s dear children, for lack of better instructors. I will not make use of the offensive term, if I can avoid it, but speak of the non-elect as rejected of vessels of wrath. How then, I ask, are the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? If we are content with the revelation of God on this subject, we shall say, simply in their not being predestinated to eternal life, not being loved with an everlasting love,—not being set apart to eternal life,—not having their names written in the Lambs book of life,—not being marked out for God’s people—his sheep—his friends,—his subjects—no covenant entered into for them, and therefore being condemned in their first parents, on account of sin, they are without hope and “without God in the world,”—marred vessels—fitted for destruction. But some will say, it is not so, and they might have been saved, for the cove­nant is conditional, and God would have them to be saved; but then the language of the Holy Ghost must be changed, and it would be, the Lord endured with much long-suffer­ing the vessels of mercy and at last gave them up to wrath as the vessels of wrath. But how are the vessels of mercy afore prepared to glory by their election in Christ, Eph. 1:3, 4. and eternal union to him, by their being given to him in the counsels of eternity, as members of his body, branches in the true vine; John 17:6. Eph. 5:30. John 15:1. “Sheep of his pasture.” Jer. 33:13. “By the covenant ordered in all things and sure.” 2 Sam. 23:5. “By having grace given them in Christ Jesus before the world began.” 2 Tim. 2:9. Thus they are prepared by the purpose and decree of the Most High, and, when afterwards called, they are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: all their fitness is in Christ, “who is made of God unto them wisdom, righteous­ness, sanctification, and redemption,” and in whom they have “all spiritual blessings,” and out of whose “fulness they all receive, and grace for grace.” But I proceed in the 6th place to shew, how God “endures with much long-suffer­ing the vessels of wrath,” and how he makes “known unto the vessels of mercy the riches of the glory of his grace;” and to speak of the vessels of wrath, first, and as I doubt not that a great number of you who compose this large congregation are living as vessels of wrath, it will be well if the Lord should be pleased to bless the word to the rousing you from your slumber of death, and making you feel sorrow for your sinful state; at all events, it is incum­bent on us, earnestly to enquire, in which state we are, as there is no middle state; we are either vessels of wrath, or vessels of mercy; servants of Satan and sin, or of Christ and holiness: of the vessels of wrath we may speak under two heads, those who have made a profession of religion, and those who have not. Now there are many instances in the word of God, of vessels of wrath making a great profession of religion; in Heb. 6:2, 5, we read of many who were outwardly enlightened; in Numb. 22, we have a Balaam, a soothsayer, one who died fighting against the armies of the living God, uttering a most beautiful prophecy of the Messiah, and in the strong language of assurance calling God his God. “I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord to say anything in our flesh the Lord my God shall give me. We have also a Saul among the Prophets and Judas among the Apostles, who both, by their wretched ends, plainly proved that they were “vessels of wrath.” Many a person, like Herod, delights to hear the gospel, and walks, like him, consistently, for a time and, like him, when their favorite sin is attacked, are enraged. Now such characters as these, after a time, are enticed, and drawn to indulge in some sin, which, by degrees, becomes less hateful to them: their Hearts grow wedded to it; they gradually forsake the worship of God; become hardened infidels: deny the faith; die in that state, and are justly condemned and left without excuse, while the poor tempted child of God is upheld, and his month is shut here, that it may not be hereafter. But some one will perhaps say, you are speaking of those who have fallen from grace, who once were Christians and children of God, but now are become apostates. No, my friends, such persons never were Christians, or children of God: they had “a name to live but were dead”—they never had “the root of the matter in them,” were not “trees of God’s right-hand planting;” but, as John says, “went out from us, because they were not of us;” “that it might be made manifest that they were not of us.” The other class are those who, whether they heard the gospel or not, never believed—never made a profession of religion. There are thousands in our day of this sort; for a time the light of nature, natural conscience, which some call a measure of grace given them, but which Paul calls the law of nature, forbids them indulging in any gross sin, but by degree, they cast off this restraint; their conscience becomes “seared as with a hit iron;” they go on from bad to worse, until at length, delivered up to a reprobate mind, they drop into hell with blasphemy in their mouths, and malice in their hearts; the “long-suffering of God” towards them is in giving them temporal mercies, in not punishing them by sending them to hell from the womb, or cutting them off when they have committed some sinful act. Pharaoh is a remarkable instance of the long-suffering of God, and quoted by the Apostle in this chapter as such.

In these characters God shews his wrath, and makes his power known—his power in making them endure an eternity of suffering—for another less than Almighty power can cause the continued existence of a body when cast into an element, the nature of which is to consume it, as was the case when Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, were cast into the flames;—and the wrath of God, which, on the part of the Church, was endured by Christ, could not be shewn on the vessels of wrath, except by God’s making his power known at the same time in continuing their ex­istence; and thus to the Church will be shewn the wrath which they have been redeemed from, and an example of the sufferings of Christ on their behalf.

But let me turn to “the manifestation of the riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy and this may be con­sidered to the weak and to the strong. And first, in the appointment of Christ to be their substitute,—to come into the world in their nature,—to take upon him all their sins, to suffer for them,—endure the curse of the law,—bring in everlasting righteousness,—make an end of all their sin, being made sin for them, who knew no sin,—their food,—their raiment,—their light,—their life,—their joy,—their “all in all.”

2nd.—In the preservation of their persons during their unregenerate state, that they being “preserved in Jesus Christ,” nothing should take away their lives until Jesus Christ was formed in their hearts. Look back upon your own lives, beloved in the Lord, remember how the Lord hath brought you up from the gates of the grave, watched over your paths, sheltered you and protected you until the time appointed for your conversion was arrived. Did you ever read the life of John Newton, a great and good man, who laboured for many years in the ministry of the word, and whose writings will ever be a blessing to the Church? No child of God, at all acquainted with his own heart, can read his letters without satisfaction. He was for years a slave on the coast of Africa, and, what is worse, he was a slave to the bad passions of his nature, gave himself up to infidelity, and corrupted the minds of others; yet, as a vessel of mercy, he was watched over and preserved: to use his own words—

“Determined to save,

Christ watched o’er my path,

While Satan’s blind slave,

I sported with death.”

One remarkable instance, I imperfectly remember, one morning, when on board ship as a common seaman, he lay in bed longer than usual, and one of his messmates cut down his hammock in a frolic, though very angry he durst not resent it, as the individual was his superior, but going on deck, he found a lieutenant from another vessel on board the ship who had come to exchange two men for two others from his ship; he entreated to be one of them, which was granted. On this event depended much of Mr. Newton’s subsequent sin and suffering, and I am not quite sure but the ship he left was afterwards lost. I, Myself, my dear friends, blessed by the Holy name of my God, am also another instance of the watchfulness of God over the vessels of mercy, in their unregenerate state. From the age of thirteen to twenty-one or twenty-two, I practiced every species of wickedness and enormity, sometimes openly and sometimes under a cloak; and yet the Lord preserved me through numerous accidents, as they are termed, until the time appointed for my new brith arrived.

3rdly.—The vessels of mercy have another manifestation of glory, when called, by the power of the Spirit to a knowledge of themselves,—of God,—of Christ, and his great salvation. Allow me to digress a few mo­ments for the comfort of the dear lambs of the flock: you are saying, we cannot doubt that what you have said is true, for it is so abundantly confirmed by scripture, but it seals my fate, I have no hope; why? I am so great a sinner, the catalogue of my sins is immense, the stain of them is deep. Let me ask, do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Not a righteousness of your own weaving, but a robe wrought by the Redeemer;—are you mourning over your sins—heart sins? The sin of your nature, and do you feel your poverty of spirit? your emptiness ? (Read Matt. 5:3, 7.) These are all of the testimonies that you are vessels of mercy; yea, the very breath of desire after Christ is a proof of spiritual life, for the unre­generate man has no such desire. I do not say this to make you content in a weak state, but to encourage you to follow on for greater manifestations of the riches of the glory of his grace.

But 4thly.—The vessels of mercy see the riches of his glory in bearing with their continued rebellion, coldness, wanderings, and deadness; there are some amounts us who are fathers in Christ, you are partly ashamed to declare this truth, that your heart is still deceitful, that it is still wandering, yea some of you perhaps, are overtaken by the sudden working of corruption, so as to say, asto­nishing! after all these years of mercy, my nature is still the same; yet, my friends, you have not seen the worst of it, whatever you may have seen, whatever you may have felt, you have not, I repeat it, seen the worst; but you have, I affirm it, had rich manifestations of the glory of his grace.

And lastly.—The vessels of mercy will have a full and complete manifestation thereof, when these words shall be addressed to them,—“Come ye blessed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, from the beginning of the world;” then will the Redeemer’s prayer be answered,—“Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which I had with thee before the world was,” &c.

In proceeding to the 7th division of my subject, which is, to give instances from the word of God, of particular individuals who are vessels of mercy, as the Apostle says, even us, whom he hath called, I must press home the sub­ject very closely on my hearers, and enquire are you among “the called.” What is all our profession without this, what avails our knowledge,—we are but as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals, without vital, experimental, heart religion; one may discourse well on the doctrines of grace, another may delight to hear, but except called by the Holy Ghost, it will avail us nothing.—Alas! how many there are, who are ready to put the question, some put to our Lord when he tabernacled on earth, “are there few that shall be saved?” to whom our Lord replied, “strive to enter in at the strait gate;” my friends, it is a strait gate. Is not that a strait gate, to enter which a man must needs be stripped to the skin? just such is the gate that leads to eternal life; you cannot enter with anything of your own; you must be stripped of everything you boast of by nature, and these things must appear base, vile, and contemptible, or the salva­tion of Christ, cannot be appreciated.

I will now instance a few characters called by grace, and may the Lord enable you to see a similarity in your state as we proceed; of the Jews, I will mention Paul, Peter, Zaccheus, and the thief upon the cross;—of the Gentiles the Corinthian church,—the Ephesian church,—the Thessalonian church. To begin with Paul, he was a proud, self-righteous Pharisee; he tells us, he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and in the epistle to Galatians, he says, “he profited above many his equals in the Jewish religion, and his profiting appears to prove the truth of our Lord’s words, who said, the Pharisees “compassed sea and land to make one proselyte,” and when they had succeeded, made him “two-fold more a child of hell than themselves,” that is, a doubly bigoted zealous wretch; now in Paul’s case this is exemplified, for Gamaliel and had said, of the christians, “if this work be of man, it shall come to nought: but if of God, it shall stand;” but Paul said, “give me letters to Damascus, that I may persecute this way to the death, for one Stephen, has just been stoned, and the young men laid down their garments at my feet.” In pursuing this mad career, the Lord met him; for whilst he was persecuting the members on earth, the glorious head exclaims from heaven, “why persecutes thou me?” And now observe the change in this chosen vessel, being called, and the Son of God revealed in him, you find him absolutely making a word (for the Greek word, in Eph 3:8, is not to be found nay where else) to express his sense of his own unworthiness. And at another time, when writing to his beloved Timothy, declares that he feels himself the chiefest of sinners. Although some of you may, under a feeling and sense of sin, be inclined to think yourselves the chief, yet it only proves that the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ causes the same impression wherever it shines. Paul now, called by divine grace, labours more abundantly than any, to preach and establish the faith he once de­stroyed. Is there no vessel of mercy here, whose past life has been, and whose present experience is something like Paul’s?

I proceed to notice Peter;—of his life, previous to his conversion, we know but little, except that he was as fisherman; but may we not conclude, from what we read of his behavior afterwards, that he was an active, bustling man; attentive to his business formats in directing his boat—toiling all night—letting down the nets on the right side—and believing that when he had attended to these cares he had done all that was necessary. How many vessels of mercy in our day are thus occupied with their farms and merchandize, until the light shining into a dark place arouses them. Peter forsook all at the word of Jesus, “Follow me,” for that word was with power, and it reached his heart. Then his character began to be developed; self-confident, he must always be foremost. If Christ said to the twelve, whom think ye that I am? Peter replies, “Thou art the Christ.” If he says, “Will ye also go away?” Peter answers, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” When Christ began to speak of his sufferings, Peter says, “That be far from thee, Lord and when the Lord said, “All ye shall be ashamed of me,” Peter cries out, “Though all men forsake thee, yet will l never.” Put Peter must go into Satan’s sieve, yet had Christ prayed for him that his faith might not fail; so has he prayed for you, and so does he ever live to intercede for you, if you feel your state to be like Peter’s. Mark his subsequent humi­lity! When the Redeemer asked, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” He replied, “Lord, thou knowest that I love thee;” there was no proud boasting, but an humble declaration, with an appeal to his Lord’s knowledge.

The next instance of a vessel of mercy called from among the Jews, to which I shall refer, is that of Zaccheus; he was a publican—had the receiving of the public customs, or tribute, and, doubtless, had great opportunity of enriching himself at the public expense. His curiosity led him to climb a sycamore tree, where be might see Jesus without being seen. But the Lord, who knew all things, all hearts, and all men, when he drew near, lifted up his voice and cried, “Zaccheus, come down! for I must dine at thy house today.” How many are like Zaccheus led, by their curiosity to this place, to hear what “this babbler saith,” who “seemeth to be a setter forth of strange doctrines.” May the Lord meet them, and may this be the time when he will bring them down with their mouths in the dust, “if so be, there may be hope.”

But I wish you to observe particularly the effects of a free grace salvation upon the heart of Zaccheus; he cries out, “The half of my goods, Lord, I give to the poor, and if I have wronged any man, I restore him fourfold. There is no need to preach the law to one who has the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, in his heart; for that “teaches him to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

One more remarkable instance of salvation by grace, which forbids any one to despair, however long their course in sin, however vile their practices, is that of the thief upon the cross: a few house before his death he had joined the rabble in casting the same reproach in the teeth of the Redeemer; but now, touched by the power of the spirit of God, he cried, in rebuke to his fellow sinner, “Seest thou not that we are in the same condemnation, we indeed justly, but this man hath done nothing amiss;”—thus he acknowledged the humanity of Christ. To Jesus he said, “Lord remember me when thou comest into they kingdom;”—here he acknowledges his deity; and the Lord replied, “Today shall thou be with me in Paradise.” Now, this “vessel of mercy afore prepared to glory,” was made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints of light. Many persons suppose that there must be a growing meetness or fitness for heaven,—that, if you have been a believer twenty years, you must be more fit for glory now than when you first believed;—but if you know anything of your own heart you know that this is false, that in yourself you are as black as ever, as ugly and deformed as sin can make you, and as deceitful as it is possible to be, although you do rejoice in such a growth in grace as enables you to see yourself complete in Christ, to hate sin, and mortify the flesh,—and thus look to be an equal partaker of glory with Peter and Paul, Zaccheus and the thief. 

Now of vessels of mercy among Gentiles, the Corinthian believers had been notorious for wickedness; read 1 Cor. 6; yet, when the fulness of time was come, they were brought to receive mercy, and a manifestation of the riches of the glory of God’s grace, in their justification and sanctification, “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of God.” May I not say, in the language of the Apostle, “such were some of you.” The Ephesians had their understandings darkened, walked according to the course, and worshipped the god of this world,—yet, such was the power of God’s grace towards them, that the Apostle commences his letter to them by reminding them of their election in Christ Eph. 1. To the Thessalonians church (1 These. 1:4) he declares that he knew their election of God, because the gospel came not “in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance”; yet they had been idolaters; therefore we may remark, that we can never decide who are vessels of mercy and who are not, as the riches of divine grace are often dis­played in the salvation of the vilest, while the moral, self-righteous, wise, and prudent, are left, and why? “Even so. Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight.”

But, lest I appear tedious, I will pass on to notice the particular advantages arising from a knowledge and belief of these doctrines; and here I would declare that I by no means venture to affirm, that no person can be a Christian without believing what I have stated today;—on the con­trary, I do not doubt but many of God’s children, vessels of mercy, are received into glory, who, all their lifetime, were afraid to believe what God’s word so plainly declares: but I must also affirm, that such persons are without the comfort which arises from a knowledge thereof; as, first—It lays the axe at the root of pride. Pride is our greatest enemy, and the doctrine of predestination, by which we perceive that all we are, all we have, all we shall be, or possess hereafter, is according to the eternally ar­ranged purposes of God, makes us to exclaim, “God forbid that we should glory!” Second.—It excludes the idea of chance. [I have laid aside the word, as a word which has no meaning, as a good man observes, fortune, luck, and chance are the trinity of fools.] Every hair of your head is numbered,—every step that you take is ordered,—if you, returning to your homes this night, wander out of your way, fall into a ditch and take cold, will you repine? not when you remember that the most trivial event is ofttimes productive of the most important consequences. But let me observe, that many of those who profess to believe these doctrines do live as though they believed them not; when a time of trouble comes, whether temporal or spiri­tual, immediately they are distressed, fretful, impatient, and rebellious;—but let not the enemy of the truth boast on this account, for the effect of the trial is as much decreed as the trial itself, and all for a rich display of sove­reign grace. Third.—It exalts the grace of God;—to perceive his sovereign arrangements from all eternity, to save such sinful wretches as we are, greatly magnifies the riches of his goodness in our sight. Fourth.—It renders salvation certain; it does not leave it to the contingency of man’s will, nor any inferior circumstances whatever;—it does not say, if such a person should preach the gospel—and if the people would come to church—and if they would believe and repent, they might be saved;—it proceeds on different grounds: God has a people to save,—vessels of mercy to be filled,—Jesus Christ has died for them,—God will send his gospel to them,—apply it to their souls,—they shall believe for they are saved, “as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Lastly.—It affords believers great consolation. To the minister it gives life, vigor, energy; he knows that the success of his ministry does not rest upon his exertions, but upon the eternal arrangements of Jehovah; every sermon has its work marked out, and though he meet with opposition, he rejoices, knowing that the devil himself can oppose no farther than is appointed for the glory of God, and good of the Church. The private Christian is enabled to sing as you did this morning (whether with the heart I know not):—

“Sovereign Ruler of the skies,

Ever gracious, ever wise,

All my times are in they hand,

All events at they command,” &c.

But, lastly. I would allude to two schemes of human invention, in which the plain truths of God’s Holy Word are entirely set aside. The first is, that of the Papists and Arminians, whereby God is represented as creating man and suffering him to fall into sin, sending his Son to die for all the world, and calling all the world by the power of his Spirit: but foreseeing that some would believe, he has elected them to salvation; and foreseeing that others would not believe, he has rejected them to damnation. The other—that of the late Andrew Fuller—that Christ’s death was sufficient for all, but effectual only for the elect; this is an attempt to unite personal election and indefinite or general redemption. Christ, say they, died for sin, as sin, and not for the sins of certain individuals. This latter scheme, so palatable to human nature, and invented that the offense of the cross might cease, has been ably exposed by a Mr. Stevens, a dissenting minister in London in a work called “Help to the true Disciples of Immanuel.” Both schemes are directly contrary to scripture, and tend to represent Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as disappointed. The errors in the former are too glaring to be dangerous to one taught of God; every one at all acquainted with his Bible knows that salvation is of God—that election is the purpose of God, and that it is not of works nor on account of works, but that those who are chosen are chosen unto good works, through sanctification of the spirit, and belief of the truth;—that Christ laid down his life for his sheep—gave himself for us, a peculiar people, for his Church.—(John 10:15-28.) (Titus 2:14.) (Eph. 5:25.) The 17 of John, which treats of his advocacy and intercession, marks out those whom he has redeemed; and that the calling of God in the gospel, though outwardly indefinite, is not universal and to every singular individual, for “many are called,” not all.

Again, it is not given to all to know the mysteries of the kingdom, it was kept secret from the beginning of the world unto Christ. There are millions who never heard of Christ; but, by this scheme, it appears that God de­sires to have all men, every individual, to be saved, but yet has ordained some to perdition; that, in regard of God, all men are elected and redeemed, but, in regard of the event, perish. Second.—Adam’s sin is not imputed to any one, for God has taken every man into the covenant of reconciliation; therefore there can be no punishment, and corruption is taken away. To such absurdities do men run, some with their eyes open, and some out of ignorance and a desire to justify God.

But the indefinite scheme is rather more subtle, and has entrapped many of God’s dear people, as it professes to receive the doctrine of particular personal election (as held by the Church of England, and beautifully defined in the 17th article), securing the salvation of the elect, and plac­ing the rejected vessels of wrath in a solvable state;—but, if our Lord died only for “some of the sins of all men,” all have some sins to answer for, and none can be saved; “if for all the sins of all men,’’ unbelief is included, and all must be saved; but if for “all the sins of some men,” then those persons whose sins he bore must be saved; for where the sin was laid, there the guilt was beheld and pu­nishment inflicted; and when the justice of God has been satisfied, and the law magnified, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin; then we may say with the Church, “Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it; break forth into singing, O mountain, forest, and every green tree therein, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel;”—and thus the work of the Eternal Three is commensurate. Whom the Father elects he gives to the Son, who redeems them for all iniquity, and the Holy Ghost calls them to the knowledge of their Father and Redeemer. “But to the word and to the testimony,” in Isa. 53:6, “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all;”—in 1 Pet. 2:25, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree;”—in Heb. 9:28, “So Christ was once offered to hear the sins of many;” “This is my blood which was shed for many for the remission of sins.”

It now remains that I should notice some objections, which are often made use of to keep the people of God in ignorance, or to distress them after their eyes are opening to the truth:—

Objection 1.—Christ took upon him man’s nature, and redeemed that nature, therefore redemption is universal.

Answer.—First: This proves too much; for, according to this, Christ must have redeemed his own humanity, which was holy and needed no redemption. Second: Christ took not upon man’s nature as it was man’s nature, but as it was the nature of the children, “forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood,” &c. Heb. 2:14. Third: Every woman partakes of the man nature of every man, yet every man is not her husband, but only he with whom she has entered into the covenant of marriage; so Christ is only the husband of the Church.

Obj. 2.—Christ’s redemption is as extensive as Adam’s fall.

Ans.—This objection is taken from Rom. 5. Where the Apostle shews that Adam was a type of Christ, as being the head and representative of a body, namely, all that sprang from his loins: and so christ, as the head and representative of the Church, chosen in him and with him, redeemed them all.

Obj. 3.—But in Rom. V. 18, it declares that the free gift came upon all.

Ans.—The conclusion of the verse proves that only those who are in Christ are intended; the free gift came upon all to justification of life: now whom he justified (freely by his grace), them he glorified: therefore, either all the world must be glorified, or only those in Christ by eternal union are justified in him, which is the sense of the verse.

Obj. 4.—In Rom. 11:32, “God hath shut up all in unbelief that he might have mercy on all.”

Ans.—The context plainly shews that the word all refers to the Jews, that God’s mercy may be shown to all for vessels of mercy, both of Jewish and Gentile race, for salvation is of faith that it might be of grace.

Obj. 5.—In 1 Tim. 2:4, the Apostle says that God would have all men to be saved.

Ans.—And the Holy Ghost continues, “And come to a knowledge of the truth,” which plainly proves that all men, universally, cannot be meant, for millions of men never heard the truth, millions more turn a deaf ear to it, but the “all men” means some of all sorts—“Kings and those in authority,” for God will be glorified in all sorts of men, from the king upon his throne to the beggar on the dunghill.

Obj. 6.—But in 2 Pet. 3:9, “God is not willing that nay should perish.”

Ans.—Read the whole of the verse, “God is long-suffering to us-ward,” (to us who have obtained a like precious faith), “not willing that any should perish,” &c. This is, indeed, a two-edged sword, and we may take it out of the hand of the adversary, and prove from it the impossibility of a poor backslider finally and totally falling away. The verse belongs entirely to believers.

Obj. 7.—“God wills not the death of a sinner.” Ezek. 18:23.

Ans.— To whom is this addressed? To the people of Israel, and with regard to temporal life and death. But, you will say, do not you yourself often spiritualize the Old Testament prophecies: I do, and I wish you would do so, with the same limitation, viz. that Israel after the flesh is a type or figure, not of all mankind, but of Israel after the spirit—the Church of the Most High. But some one will say, in our church service, in what is called the absolution, you say, God “desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may repent,” and so on. True; but what sinners are meant? Those who have been just confessing that they “have done those things they ought not to have done, and left undone the things they ought to have done,” and this declaration is made for your comfort, which you are ignorant of, if, like hypocrites, you have been saying what you never felt, and did not believe.

Obj. 8.—You make God a respecter of persons.

Ans.—God would be a respecter of persons if he chose one and rejected another form something he was in one or other; but when all are alike, and God, in the free exercise of his righteous will, chooses or rejects, he is no respecter of persons.

Obj. 9.—It is often said, “Christ came to save the world.”

Ans.—The Church is a world within a world: if any one of you will take the trouble to read my “Scripture Truths,” you will find a variety of instances in which the word is used in different senses, which may always be discovered be a reference to the context.

Obj. 10.— But even those who perish are bought by Christ, for 2 Pet. 2:1, says, that false teachers will deny the Lord that bought them.

Ans.—In a certain sense it is true that Christ bought the whole world, and everything it contains, that is, for the use of the Church, but not with any view to their eternal glory;—as man who buys a bale of goods buys the wrapper in which they are contained, though with no intention of converting it to the same use as the goods,—and without paying any price expressly for such wrapper. But it may also be said that the scriptures of truth frequently speak of things and persons as they appear or profess to be, and thus false teachers may bring in damnable heresies, such as Pelagianism and Arminianism, which do virtually deny the efficacious sacrifice of our blessed redeemer, and yet profess to preach Christ, and to believe that he has bought them; I have known one or two instances of the sort, and have just learnt that one who had lapsed from the truth is returning to it again:—therefore, in a judgment of charity we should speak of them as they speak of themselves.

Obj. 11.—God appointed all men to be saved, if they would believe.

Ans.—If faith is a gift of God, then (according to this objection) God decreed to save all men if he should give them faith,—or if it be in the power of man to believe with saving faith, then the salvation of the Church is made to depend upon the creature, and Christs death might be rendered of no avail, as regards my salvation, by my perverseness; but the Scriptures declare that faith is comprehended in the decree, “As many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” Acts 13:48.

Obj. 12.—God did foreknow the fall of Adam, but he did not decree it; and, therefore, it was without the active permission of God.

Ans.—The falsehood  of this statement appears from abundance of scriptures,—but in particular with regard to the death of our Lord Jesus Christ it is said, that Herod and Pontius Pilate only did what God’s hand and counsel had before ordained to be done, and that he was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,—no if,—no contingency,—no peradventure,—and this determi­nate counsel comprehended every minor and subordinate event;—for if Adam had not fallen, Christ would have had no sin to atone for; but, if Adam had not been tempted, he would not have fallen, and if Satan had kept his first estate, there would have been no tempter; but I must stop, or some of you will say, you make God the author of sin; but I shall observe with Archbishop Usher, that God is like a skilfull apothecary, who mixes poison with other ingredients, and with it makes a useful medicine, and whenever we consider these things we must always re­member the end God has in view, namely, the manifesta­tion of his glorious attributes and perfections, which things the angels desire to look into.

Obj. 13.—There is a great deal of comfort in believing that Christ died for all, for then I am sure he died for me.

Ans.—No person who has ever suffered under conviction of sin, could derive the least comfort from such a position, for if I believe Christ shed his precious blood for, atoned for, satisfied God’s justice for all—Judas as well as Peter—Cain as Abel—Pharaoh as Balaam—and Saul as well as David, Joseph, or Moses; then, I may say, these are gone to hell, and so may I unless I have something in myself which they had not; thus I am led to look at self instead of Christ, and driven to miserable despair. 

I have already trespassed on your time, and shall therefore conclude, with an earnest prayer that the Holy Ghost will be pleased to bless the word to the enlightening of your understandings, and establishment of your souls: that he will graciously manifest unto the “vessels of mercy” the riches of the glory of his grace: and to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost we will ascribe all the glory, and all the praise, now and for ever, Amen and Amen.