Grace and Free Will (continued)
CHAPTER 42.
GOD DOES WHATEVER HE WILLS IN THE HEARTS
EVEN OF WICKED MEN
Who can help trembling at those judgments of God by which He does whatever He wills in the hearts of even wicked men, at the same time rendering to them according to their deeds? Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, rejected the salutary counsel of the old men, not to deal harshly with the people, and preferred listening to the words of the young men of his own age, by returning a rough answer to those to whom he should have spoken gently. Now where did such conduct arise, except from his own will? Upon this, however, the ten tribes of Israel revolted from him, and chose for themselves another king, even Jeroboam, so that the will of God in His anger might be accomplished, which He had predicted would come to pass.1Kng 12.8-14 For what does the Scripture say? “The king did not listen to the people; for the turning was from the Lord, so that He might perform His saying which the Lord spoke to Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”1Kng 12.15 All this indeed was done by the will of man, although the turning was from the Lord.
Read the books of the Chronicles, and you will find the following passage in the second book: “Moreover, the Lord stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were neighbours to the Ethiopians; and they came up to the land of Judah and ravaged it, and carried away all the substance which was found in the king’s house.”2Chr 21.16-17 Here it is shown that God stirs up enemies to devastate the countries which He adjudges deserving of such chastisement. Still, did these Philistines and Arabians invade the land of Judah to waste it with no will of their own? Or were their movements so directed by their own will that the Scripture lies which tells us that “the Lord stirred up their spirit” to do all this? Both statements to be sure are true, because they both came by their own will, and yet the Lord stirred up their spirit; and this may also be stated with equal truth the other way: The Lord both stirred up their spirit, and yet they came of their own will. For the Almighty sets in motion, even in the innermost hearts of men, the movement of their will, so that He does through their agency whatever He wishes to perform through them—even He who does not know how to will anything in unrighteousness.
What, again, is the purport of that which the man of God said to King Amaziah: “Do not let the army of Israel go with you; for the Lord is not with Israel, not even with all the children of Ephraim: for if you think to obtain with these, the Lord shall put you to flight before your enemies: for God has power either to strengthen or to put to flight”?2Chr 25.7-8 Now, how does the power of God help some in war by giving them confidence, and put others to flight by injecting fear into them, unless He who made all things in heaven and on earth, according to His own will, also works in the hearts of men?
We read also what Joash, king of Israel, said when he sent a message to Amaziah, king of Judah, who wanted to fight with him. After certain other words, he added, “Now wait at home; why do you challenge me to your hurt, so that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?”2Kng 14.10 Then the Scripture has this sequel added: “But Amaziah would not hear; for it came from God, so that he might be delivered into their hands, because they sought after the gods of Edom.”2Chr 25.20 Behold, now, how God, wishing to punish the sin of idolatry, worked this in this man’s heart, with whom He was indeed justly angry, not to listen to sound advice but to despise it, and go to the battle in which he with his army was routed. God says by the prophet Ezekiel, “If the prophet is deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet: I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.”Eze 14.9
Then there is the book of Esther, who was a woman of the people of Israel, and in the land of their captivity she became the wife of the foreign King Ahasuerus. In this book it is written, that being driven by necessity to interpose in behalf of her people, whom the king had ordered to be slain in every part of his dominions, she prayed to the Lord.Est 4.17 So strongly was she urged by the necessity of the case, that she even ventured into the royal presence without the king’s command, and contrary to her own custom. Now observe what the Scripture says:14 “He looked at her like a bull in the vehemence of his indignation; and the queen was afraid, and her colour changed as she fainted; and she bowed herself upon the head of her delicate maiden who went before her. But God turned the king, and transformed his indignation into gentleness.”Est 15.10-11 DRM The Scripture says in the Proverbs of Solomon, “Even as the rush of water, so is the heart of a king in God’s hand; He will turn it in whatever way He shall choose.”Prov 21.1 Again, in the 105th Psalm, in reference to the Egyptians, one reads what God did to them: “And He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal subtly with His servants.”Psa 105.25 Observe, likewise, what is written in the letters of the Apostles. In the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, these words occur: “Therefore God gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts;”Rom 1.24 and a little afterwards: “For this cause God gave them up to vile affections;”Rom 1.26 again, in the next passage: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.”Rom 1.28 So also in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle says of various persons, “because they did not receive the love of the truth so that they might be saved; for this reason also, God shall send them a strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness.”2Thes 2.10-12