| 540 the other? For the same reason that he accepted the offering of Abel, and rejected Cain's offering; because Jacob's works had been righteous, and Esau's wicked; and where is there a righteous father who would not do the same thing? Who would not love an affectionate and obedient son, more than he who was disobedient, and sought to injure him and overthrow the order of his house? [objection] "But God seeth not as men seeth, and he is no respector of persons," [Act, x. 34.] True, but what saith the next verse, "He that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted of him; but it does not say that he that worketh wickedness is accepted, and this is a proof that God has respect to the actions of persons; and if he did not, why should he commend obedience to his law? for if he had no respect to the actions of men, he would be just as well pleased with a wicked man for breaking his law, as a righteous man for keeping it; and if Cain had done well he would have been accepted as well as Abel, [Gen. iv. 7] and Esau as well as Jacob, which proves that God does not respect persons, only in relation to their acts, [see Mat. xxv. 34, to the end,] Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was an hungred [hungered] and ye gave me meat, &c,; and becauce [because] that God blessed Able and Jacob this would not have hindered his blessing Cain and Esau, if their works had been righteous like unto their brethren; so God's choosing one nation to blessing, does not doom another to cursing, or make them reprobate, according to the reprobation of God, as some suppose; but by resisting the truth, they become reprobate concerning the faith, [2 Tim. iii. 8,] and are abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, [Titus, i. 16] consequently, are not fit subjects for the blessings of election.
Rom. ix, 15, for he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, [see Ex. xxxiii. 13, to 19.] My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest, for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name, and I will make all my goodness to pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee: and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew [show] mercy on whom I will shew [show] mercy. (Rom. ix. 16.) So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth [showeth] mercy; having his eye at the same time directed towards his covenant people in Egyptian bondage.
For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, (Ex. ix. 16, 17.) and in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew [show] in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? God had promised to bring the house of Israel up out of the land of Egypt, at his own appointed time; and with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm, and great terribleness, (Deut. xxvi. 8.) he chose to do this thing, that his power might be known and his name declared throughout all the earth, so that all nations might have the God of heaven in remembrance, and reverence his holy name;. and to accomplish this it was needful that he should meet with opposition to give him an opportunity to manifest his power; therefore he raised up a man, even Pharaoh, who he fore-knew, would harden his heart against God, of his own free-will and choice, and would withstand the Almighty in his attempt to deliver his chosen people, and that to the utmost of his ability; and he proved himself worthy of the choice, for he left no means unimproved, which his wicked heart could devise to vex the sons of Abraham, and defeat the purposes of the Most high, which gave the God of Abraham an opportunity to magnify his name in the ears of the nations, and in sight of this wicked king, by many mighty signs and wonders sometimes even to the convincing the wicked king of his wickedness, and of the power of God, (Ex. viii 28, &c.) and yet he would continue to rebel, and hold the Israelites in bondage; and this is what is meant by God's hardening Pharaoh's heart; he manifested himself in so many glorious and mighty ways, that Pharaoh could not resist the truth without becoming harder, so that at the last, in his madness to stay the people of God, he rushed into the Red sea, with all his host, and was covered with the floods.
Had not the power of God been exerted in a remarkable manner, it would seem as though the house of Israel must
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