Wesley Corpus

24. Do you say, “Nay, but it is just for God to pass by whom he will, because of his sovereignty; for he saith himself, ‘May not I do what I will with my own?” and, ‘Hath not the potter power over his own clay?’” I answer, The former of these sentences stands in the conclusion of that parable, (Matthew xx.) wherein our Lord reproves the Jews for murmur ing at God’s giving the same reward to the Gentiles as to them. To one of these murmurers it is that God says, “Friend, I do thee no wrong. Take that thine is, and go thy way. I will give unto this last even as unto thee.” Then follows: “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own 2 Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” As if he had said, “May I not give my own kingdom to whom I please? Art thou angry because I am merciful?” It is then undeniably clear, that God does not here assert a right of reprobating any man. Here is nothing spoken of reprobation, bad or good. Here is no kind of reference thereto. This text therefore has nothing to do with the conclusion it was brought to prove. 25. But you add: “Hath not the potter power over his own clay?” Let us consider the context of these words also. They are found in the ninth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans; an Epistle, the general scope and intent of which is, to publish the eternal, unchangeable a poisaig, purpose or decree of God, “He that believeth, shall be saved: He that believeth not shall be damned.” The justice of God in con demning those that believed not, and the necessity of believing in order to salvation, the Apostle proves at large in the three first chapters, which he confirms in the fourth by the example of Abraham. In the former part of the fifth and in the sixth chapter, he describes the happiness and holiness of true believers.