course, then, if evil is predicted regarding either nations or
You shall dwell on earth. To one man, You shall be born in Judea, where My name is named and My temple stands. To another, You shall be born in Egypt, or Babylon, where utter darkness reigns. To one He says, You shall be born in Britain and hear the glad tidings. To another, You shall be born in Africa where no gospel has ever come. So He expresses His will, and who can resist it? Who can find fault, or say to Him, What doest Thou? Men may object at being placed thus entirely at the disposal of God, but the apostle's answer to such is, "Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God?" (Rom. 9:20). Election, then, is the distinct forth-putting of God's sovereign will, for the purpose of bringing a thing to pass; which, but for the explicit forth-going of that will, would not have come to pass.
But does this not lead to the conclusion that sin is the direct result of God's decree? Does it not teach us that it is God and not man that produces sin? No. God does not foreordain sin, but He decrees to allow man to sin. God is holy and hates sin. He does not lead men into it; neither does He decree to lead men into it. But He decrees that, for infinitely wise ends, the creature should be permitted to fall, and sin to be perpetuated.
1. God forces no man to sin, either by what He decrees or what He does, either by commanding or constraining or alluring.
2. It is absurd to say that if we hold that God is the author of good, then He must be the author of evil — that if He from eternity purposed to create what is good in man, He must therefore have purposed to create that which is evil. It is absurd to say that if I hold that it is God who sets my will right, then I must hold that it is God who set it wrong.
3. God frequently gave predictions of evil long before the time. Of course, then, if evil is predicted regarding either nations or