Chapter 42 [XXI]—God Does Whatsoever He Wills in the Hearts of Even Wicked Men.

Who can help trembling at those judgments of God by which He does in the hearts of even wicked men whatsoever He wills, 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 whence arose such conduct, except from his own will? Upon this, however, the ten tribes of Israel revolted from him, and chose for themselves another king, even Jeroboam, that the will of God in His anger might be accomplished which He had predicted would come to pass.283    1 Kings xii. 8–14. For what says the Scripture? “The king hearkened not unto the people; for the turning was from the Lord, that He might perform His saying, which the Lord spake to Ahijah the Shilonite concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat.”284    1 Kings xii. 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.”285    2 Chron. xxi. 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 with equal truth be stated 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 whatsoever He wishes to perform through them,—even He who knows not how to will anything in unrighteousness. What, again, is the purport of that which the man of God said to King Amaziah: “Let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the Lord is not with Israel, even with all the children of Ephraim: for if thou shalt think to obtain with these, the Lord shall put thee to flight before thine enemies: for God hath power either to strengthen or to put to flight”?286    2 Chron. xxv. 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, except it be that He who has made all things according to His own will, in heaven and on earth,287    Ps. cxxxv. 6. 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 tarry at home; why dost thou challenge me to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?”288    2 Kings xiv. 10. Then the Scripture has added this sequel: “But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might be delivered into their hands, because they sought after the gods of Edom.”289    2 Chron. xxv. 20. Behold, now, how God, wishing to punish the sin of idolatry, wrought 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 be deceived when he hath 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.” 290    Ezek. xiv. 9. Then there is the book of Esther, who was a woman of the people of Israel, and in the land of their captivity 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. 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: “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 which went before her. But God turned the king, and transformed his indignation into gentleness.”291    Esther v. (according to the Sept.). 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.”292    Prov. xxi. 1. Again, in the 104th Psalm, in reference to the Egyptians, one reads what God did to them: “And He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal subtilly with His servants.”293    Ps. cv. 25. Observe, likewise, what is written in the letters of the apostles. In the Epistle of Paul, the Apostle, to the Romans occur these words: “Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts;”294    Rom. i. 24. and a little afterwards: “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections;”295    Rom. i. 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.”296    Rom. i. 28. So also in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians, the apostle says of sundry persons, “Inasmuch as they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved; therefore also God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”297    2 Thess. ii. 10–12.

CAPUT XXI.

42. Quis non ista judicia divina contremiscat, quibus agit Deus in cordibus etiam malorum hominum quidquid vult, reddens eis tamen secundum merita eorum? Roboam filius Salomonis respuit consilium salubre seniorum, quod ei dederant, ne cum populo dure ageret, et verbis coaevorum suorum potius acquievit, respondendo minaciter quibus leniter debuit. Unde hoc, nisi propria voluntate? Sed hinc ab eo recesserunt decem tribus Israel, et alium regem sibi constituerunt Jeroboam, ut irati Dei voluntas fieret, quod etiam futurum esse praedixerat. Quid enim Scriptura dicit? Et non audivit rex plebem, quoniam erat conversio a Domino, ut statueret verbum suum quod locutus est in manu Achiae Selonitae de Jeroboam filio Nabath (III Reg. XII, 3-20). Nempe sic factum est illud per hominis voluntatem, ut tamen conversio esset a Domino. Legite libros Paralipomenon, et invenietis in secundo libro scriptum: Et suscitavit Dominus super Joram spiritum Philistiim et Arabum qui finitimi erant Aethiopibus, et ascenderunt in terram Juda, et dissipaverunt eam, et ceperunt omnem substantiam, quae in domo regis inventa est (II Par. XXI, 16, 17). Hic ostenditur, Deum suscitare hostes eis terris vastandis, quas tali poena judicat dignas. Numquid tamen Philistiim et Arabes in terram Judaeam dissipandam sine sua voluntate venerunt, aut sic venerunt sua voluntate, ut mendaciter scriptum sit quod Dominus ad hoc faciendum eorum spiritum suscitavit? Imo utrumque verum est, quia et sua voluntate venerunt, et tamen spiritum eorum Dominus suscitavit. Quod etiam sic dici 0908 potest, et eorum spiritum Dominus suscitavit, et tamen sua voluntate venerunt. Agit enim Omnipotens in cordibus hominum etiam motum voluntatis eorum, ut per eos agat quod per eos agere ipse voluerit, qui omnino injuste aliquid velle non novit. Quid est quod homo Dei dixit ad Amessiam regem, Non veniat tecum exercitus Israel, non est enim Dominus cum Israel , omnibus filiis Ephrem: quoniam si putaveris obtinere in illis, in fugam convertet te Deus ante inimicos, quoniam virtus est Deo vel adjuvare vel in fugam vertere (II Par. XXV, 7, 8)? Quomodo virtus Dei alios adjuvat in bello dando eis fiduciam, alios immisso timore vertit in fugam, nisi quia ille qui in coelo et in terra omnia quaecumque voluit fecit (Psal. CXXXIV, 6), etiam in cordibus hominum operatur? Legimus quid dixerit Joas rex Israel, mittens nuntium ad Amessiam regem volentem pugnare cum illo. Nam post aliqua dixit: Nunc sede in domo tua. Quid provocas in malum, et cadis tu et Juda tecum (IV Reg. XIV, 9, 10)? Deinde Scriptura subjunxit: Et non audivit Amessias; quoniam a Deo erat ut traderetur in manus , quoniam quaesierunt deos Edom (II Par. XXV, 20). Ecce Deus idololatriae peccatum volens vindicare, hoc operatus est in ejus corde, cui utique juste irascebatur, ut admonitionem salubrem non audiret, sed ea contempta iret in bellum, ubi cum suo exercitu caderet. Per Ezechielem prophetam dicit Deus, Et propheta si erraverit et locutus fuerit, ego Dominus seduxi prophetam illum, et extendam manum meam super eum, et exterminabo eum de medio populi mei Israel (Ezech. XIV, 9). In libro Esther scriptum est, quae mulier ex populo Israel in terra captivitatis facta erat uxor alienigenae regis Assueri: ergo in ejus libro scriptum est, quod cum haberet necessitatem interveniendi pro populo suo, quem rex, ubicumque in regno ejus esset, jusserat trucidari, oravit ad Dominum: cogebat enim eam magna necessitas, ut praeter jussum regis et praeter ordinem suum ad illum auderet intrare (Esther III et IV). Et videte quid Scriptura dicat: Et intuitus est eam tanquam taurus impetu indignationis suae, et timuit regina, et conversus est color ejus per dissolutionem, et inclinavit se super caput delicatae suae, quae praecedebat eam: et convertit Deus, et transtulit indignationem ejus in lenitatem (Id. V, sec. LXX). Scriptum est et in Proverbiis Salomonis: Sicut impetus aquae, sic cor regis in manu Dei; quocumque voluerit, declinabit illud (Prov. XXI, 1). Et in psalmo centesimo quarto legitur dictum de Aegyptiis, quid eis fecerit Deus: Et convertit cor eorum ut odissent populum ejus, ut dolum facerent in servos ejus (Psal. CIV, 25). In Litteris etiam apostolicis videte quae scripta sunt; in Epistola Pauli apostoli ad Romanos: Propterea tradidit illos Deus in desideria cordis eorum, in immunditiam. Item paulo post: Propter hoc tradidit illos Deus in passiones ignominiae.0909 Item paulo post: Sicut non probaverunt Deum habere in notitiam, tradidit illos Deus in reprobam mentem, ut faciant quae non conveniunt (Rom. I, 24, 26, 28). Et ad Thessalonicenses in Epistola secunda ait de quibusdam: Pro eo quod dilectionem veritatis non receperunt, ut salvi fierent, et ideo mittet illis Deus operationem erroris, ut credant mendacio, ut judicentur omnes qui non crediderunt veritati; sed consenserunt iniquitati (II Thess. II, 10, 11).