Pos. 7.
The punishment of the non elect was not the ultimate end of their creation; but
the glory of God.
It is frequently objected to us that,
according to our view of Predestination, “God makes some persons on purpose to
damn them:” But this we never advanced; nay, we utterly reject it, as equally
unworthy of God to do, and of a rational Being to suppose. The grand, principal
end, proposed by the Deity to himself, in his formation of all things, and of
mankind in particular; was, The manifestation and display of his own glorious
attributes. His ultimate scope, in the creation of the Elect, is, to
evidence and make known, by their salvation, the unsearchable riches of his
power and wisdom, mercy and love: and, the creation of the non-elect, is
for the display of his justice, power, sovereignty, holiness, and truth. So
that nothing can be more certain, than the declaration of the text we have frequently
had occasion to cite, Prov. xvi. ‘The Lord hath made all things for
himself, even the wicked for the day of evil.’ On the one hand, the vessels
of his wrath are fitted for destruction, in order that God may shew
his wrath, and make his power known, and manifest the greatness of his
patience and long suffering, Rom. ix. 32. On the other hand, he afore
prepared the elect to salvation, that, on them, he might demonstrate the
riches of his glory and mercy, verse 23. As, therefore, God himself is the
sole author and efficient of all his own actions; so is he,
likewise, the supreme end, to which they lead, and in which they
terminate.
Besides, the creation and perdition of
the ungodly answer another Purpose (though a subordinate one), with regard to
the elect themselves; who from the rejection of those, learn (1.) to admire
the riches of the divine love toward themselves, which planned, and his
accomplished, the work of their salvation: while others, by nature on an
equal level with them, are excluded from a participation of the same benefits.
And such a view of the Lord’s distinguishing mercy is, [2.] a most powerful
motive to thankfulness, that, when they too might justly have
been condemned with the world of the non-elect, they were marked out as heirs
of the grace of life. [3.] Hereby they are taught, ardently to love their
heavenly father; [4.] to trust in him assuredly, for a continued supply
of grace while they are on earth, and for the accomplishment of his eternal decree
and promise, by their glorification in heaven; and, [5.] to live, as
becomes those, who have received such unspeakable mercies from the hand of
their God and Saviour. So BUCER somewhere observes, That the punishment of the reprobate
“is useful to the elect; inasmuch as it influences them to a greater fear and
abhorrence of sin, and to a firmer reliance on the goodness of God.” (Girolamo Zanchi, The Doctrine of Absolute
Predestination Stated and Asserted [Perth, U.K.: R. Morison Junior, 1893], 82-83)
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