The Vessels of Mercy

The Vessels of Mercy and the Vessels of Wrath Delineated

"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the vessels of His mercy—whom He prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?" Romans 9:21-24

The true notion of the present world is—that it is a state of preparation for another, eternal world; and, therefore, such as we habitually are here, such shall we be forever. Mankind are now being formed, like clay in the potter's hands—some for honour and some for dishonour; some for wrath and some for glory. And as the potter does not put his vessels to their respective uses until they are finished and prepared for them—so neither are men removed from the present state, and fixed in their respective residences in the eternal world, until they are prepared, finished, and completely fitted for them. The vessels of mercy are prepared beforehand for that glory with which they shall be filled. And, on the other hand, the vessels of wrath are fitted to destruction, and fit for nothing else, before they are dashed to pieces by the iron rod of divine justice.

It is a criticism worthy to be mentioned, even in this solemn place, where I never choose to make a parade of useless learning, that the apostle uses a different form of expression, when speaking of these different sorts of people. The preparation of the vessels of mercy for glory, he ascribes to God, as his work. Hence he uses an active verb, referring expressly to God as the agent—the 'vessels of mercy, whom HE prepared in advance for glory'. But the fitting or preparing the vessels of wrath for destruction, he does not ascribe to God—but intimates that it is their own work. Hence he uses a passive particle—the 'vessels of wrath prepared for destruction'—fitted by their own wilful sin and impenitence, during the long-suffering of God towards them, which had a tendency to lead them to repentance.

Vessels of His wrath! How terribly emphatic is this phrase! Vessels dreadfully capacious of divine wrath! to be filled to the brim—with that burning liquid!

But how beautifully significant is the metaphor—vessels of His mercy! vessels formed, prepared, finished, adorned by the gentle and skilful hand of divine mercy! Vessels capacious of mercy, and to be filled, to overflow—with glory!

The gracious and sovereign God, who might justly have dashed these vessels of WRATH to pieces as soon as they became marred clay in his omnipotent hands, endures or bears with them with much long-suffering; as well as with vessels of mercy! He bears with them, and he has with you—for days, and months, and years, notwithstanding their daring provocations, and ungrateful abuse of his patience; which nothing but divine patience could bear with so long! But all this time, they contracted more and more filth and pollution; they became every day less fit for their Master's use, and rendered themselves more and more fit for destruction, and fit for nothing else!

And shall these vessels of wrath answer no valuable use in the great house of the universe? Will they serve to furnish out no apartment of this vast building? Will they be of no use in this numerous family of reasonable creatures? Yes, they will furnish out the regions of hell—a place as necessary and useful in the universe, as it is now constituted, as prisons and bedlams upon the earth. They will serve as public and terribly illustrious monuments of the divine power and justice, and the righteous resentments of the righteous and holy God against sin. They will serve as loud warnings to all worlds, to deter them from that destructive evil.

And thus they will answer a valuable, and even a benevolent, end in the creation, and contribute to the public good; as theexecution of criminals tends to guard the laws from violation, and so promote the good of society. They will serve, as my text informs you, "show God's wrath and make his power known!" Their destruction will illustriously display the glory of these perfections. The flames of hell will burn dreadfully bright—to reflect a dreadful—and yet amiable splendour upon them! And it is for this dreadful but righteous end, among others, that God now endures them with so much long-suffering: that his perfections, and the honour of his government, may be the more illustriously displayed—in the execution of deserved punishment upon them.

But the vessels of MERCY are intended and prepared for nobler uses. On them God intends to display the glory, the riches of the glory of his more gentle attributes—his love and grace. With them he intends to furnish out the many mansions of his heavenly house. By them he intends to let all worlds see what glorious vessels he can form, not only of the dust—but of the shattered and polluted fragments of human nature, broken and polluted by the fall of Adam, and by their own sin as well.

The view in which I now consider my text leads me to confine myself to this practical inquiry:

Wherein does preparation for glory consist?

And wherein does fitness for destruction consist?

Some of you, perhaps, when you heard the text, were struck with horror, and ready to bless yourselves at the sound: for "Now," you thought within yourselves, "we shall have a sermon upon the solemn doctrine of predestination!" But you see I propose to consider the text entirely in a practical view; and therefore your fears are imaginary.

Nor do I choose to consider it in this view, to let you see with what dexterity I can evade the genuine sense of it, and make a mental reservation of a doctrine so unpopular; but because whatever else the text in its connection may mean—it does naturally lead me to this grand inquiry; and because my present design is to speak to your hearts, about an affair which you are all concerned and capable to know, and not to perplex your minds with a controversy, of which not many of you are competent judges.

I must own, indeed, I am not a septic of the doctrine of predestination. It is not an entire blank in my creed; nor am I at all ashamed to declare my sentiments in a proper time and place. At present I shall only tell you, that I cannot be persuaded God has made such a world as this, without first drawing the plan of it in his own omniscient mind. I cannot think he would produce such a numerous race of reasonable and immortal creatures, without first determining what to do with them. I cannot think the events of time, or the judicial process of the last day, will furnish him with any new information to enable him to determine the final states of men more justly than he could from eternity.

But away with all controversial thoughts at present; and let an object of more importance engross all your attention: for you will find, I am not now going to plunge and drown you in this unfathomable depth of truth. This you may be sure of—that if you have not made yourselves fit for destruction, and fit for nothing else, by your own wilful sin—you shall never be doomed to it by virtue of any decree of God. And, on the other hand, you may be equally sure, that he never decreed to admit you into heaven, unless you are prepared for it; nor to exclude you if you are so.

I now proceed to the grand inquiry: Wherein does preparation for glory—and wherein does fitness for destruction, consist?

This will naturally lead me to inquire into your habitual dispositions and behaviour: for it is by comparing these to the nature and quality of the regions of heaven and hell—that you can discover which eternal destiny you are fit for. If your temper and dispositions are heavenly and divine—then you may be sure that you shall be admitted into those blessed mansions above! But if, on the other hand, your tempers and dispositions are infernal and diabolical; if they be such as are prevalent and universal in hell—then you may be equally sure, that, unless they are changed—you will be certainly doomed forever to that dismal region below!

This must, methinks, appear quite evident to common sense. The righteous Judge of all the earth will always invariably do that which is righteous, just and fit. If you are fit and prepared for the enjoyments and services of heaven—then you need not fear that he will admit you; never has such a soul been excluded. And what can you reasonably desire more? Would you have heaven encumbered with such as could not be happy, even in the very regions of happiness, for lack of a proper fitness and relish for the enjoyments there? But, if you are fit only for the infernal prison, is there not a propriety, as well as justice—in your being confined there? This is only the same propriety, as that madmen should be shut up in bedlam, or notorious criminals in a dungeon. Therefore,

1. Are you prepared and fit for HEAVEN? Do you love and delight in God-—in a God of infinite purity? If not—then the enjoyment of his presence, and the beatific vision of his face, which is the principal ingredient of heavenly happiness, could afford no happiness to you! Do you delight in the service of God, in contemplating his glories, in celebrating his praises, and in the humble forms of worship in his church on earth? Do these afford you the most exalted pleasure? If not—then heaven is no place for you; for these are the eternal exercises there: and to such of you as have no pleasure in them, the heavenly state would be an eternal drudgery. Do you delight in holiness? If not—then what would you do in the region of holiness? Alas! to you it would be an unnatural element!

Are the saints, those whom the world perhaps calls so with a sneer, because they make it their great business to be holy in all of life—are these your favourite companions? Is their society peculiarly delightful to you? And are they the more agreeable to you—by how much the more holy they are? If not—then what would you do among the holy inhabitants of heaven? With what pleasure could you mingle in society with them—while your disposition and theirs are so directly contrary?

Are your hearts full of ardent love to God—and benevolence to mankind? If not—then how would you breathe in the pure element of perfect love? Without such dispositions as these, you are no more fit for heaven—than a sick man for a feast; or a swine for a palace; or a blind man to view the splendours of the universe; and, therefore, you may be certain, that God, who will never do anything that is unjust or unfitting—will not admit you there, while you continue such as you now are!

You must also consider, that if you are fit for these pure and blessed regions—that it is God who has made you so, by his own almighty power! "It is God who has made us for this very purpose," 2 Corinthians 5:5, and you have been deeply sensible that the work was indeed his, was divine and god-like, and beyond the utmost efforts of your degenerate nature. You are able indeed to fit yourselves for destruction—that you can easily do; and that, I am afraid, some of you have effectually done already. But it is God alone who can make you fit for the inheritance of the saints in light.

And have you ever been the subjects of this divine operation? Have you ever felt the power of almighty grace opening your blinded minds—breaking your stony hearts, and melting them into floods of sincere sorrow, under the warm beams of a Saviour's love—like snow before the sun? Have you ever felt it subduing your favourite sins, and making them more bitter to you than death, and implanting and nourishing every grace and virtue in your souls? Has the Holy Spirit turned the prevailing bent of your souls towards holiness—so that you esteem it the principle ornament of your nature, and make it the object of your eager desires, and most vigorous pursuit? Does holiness appear to you amiable in itself, and not only a pre-requisite to your happiness—but theprincipal ingredient of it? And is heaven itself the more endeared to you by this consideration, that it is the region of pure, unmingled holiness, that no unclean thing can enter there, and that even the way that leads to it, is holy? If these things are not matters of experience to you—then you may be sure you are not 'prepared in advance for glory'.

Let us now take a view of the opposite dispositions, and we shall make the same discovery: Suppose your hearts are set upon the enjoyments of this present life, as your principal happiness; suppose you are chiefly solicitous and laborious to heap up riches, or to indulge your sensual lusts and appetites; supposing this to be the ruling passion of your souls—then are you fit and prepared for heaven? In heaven there are none of these low and sordid enjoyments! And what pleasure would you have there, who have ataste only for these earthly things? You are indeed fit to dig in the earth, like moles, and steal the serpent's food; you are indeed fit to scrape up riches; you are indeed fit to wallow in the mire of guilty and debauched pleasures; you are indeed fit to live in this world, could you always make your residence in it. This gross, impure, earthly element, suits your depraved desires, tastes and constitutions.

But can you once imagine that you are fit for heaven; fit to breathe in that pure, healthful air; fit to share in those refined and spiritual enjoyments; fit to join in the exalted employments of seraphs—while this is your prevailing temper? Surely not!

And what then will become of you? The impure and gross region of this world, so agreeable to you, will not always last—and you will not probably live in it as long as it does last; but inexorable death, before long—will tear you away from all that is dear to you under the sun. And, alas! where then shall you go? Where, then, shall you take up your eternal residence? I leave you to pause and think upon it!

Suppose the service of God to be a weariness to you, and the thoughts of him unwelcome to your minds; suppose your hearts are full of angry, malignant passions; in short, suppose you love sin more than holiness—can you then flatter yourselves that you are prepared and fit for heaven? Alas! it would be as unnatural an element to you—as for a fish to live out of water—or you to live in it.

But the farther illustration of this will fall under the next head; therefore,

2. Inquire whether your tempers and dispositions are not infernal and diabolical, and such as render you fit for destruction, and for nothing else? Are your hearts destitute of the love of God? "No," you answer; "we thank God we have never been so bad as that!" But if you love God, then why is it—that you have so few affectionate thoughts of him? Why is it—that you do not study to please him in all things, and delight in his service? If you love God, why is it that you do not strive to keep his commandments, which is the grand decisive test of love? Alas! instead of loving him, are not your hearts disaffected to him? As evidences of this—may I not produce your dislike to serious thoughts of him—your aversion to his service—your disregard to his will as the rule of your conduct—and your headlong propensity to follow your own pleasure? Do not the murmurings and insurrections of your hearts against him and his painful dispensations; your uneasy, rebellious spirit under his providence; your aversion to his service—do not these show that you are really disaffected to him?

Now this is the very temper of hell! This is the constitution of a devil—the very worst ingredient in that infernal disposition; and, therefore, unless this temper is changed, you must dwell with devils forever! It is only just and fit—that all the enemies of God should be shut up together in one vast prison! It is unfit that rebels and traitors should always run at large, or mingle with loyal subjects. Alas! sirs, a soul without the love of God—is devilized already, ripe for destruction, and fit for nothing else!

Again, Are there not some of you who have no pleasure in private devotion, no delight in conversing with God in his ordinances? The posture of humble worshippers at the throne of grace—is not easy and agreeable to you; and hence that you have prayer-less families and prayer-less closets; and if you join in public worship once a week, it is a mere customary formality. You cannot bear to wean your thoughts and tongues from temporal affairs—in the few hours devoted to the service of God, though they make up but one day in seven. You do not delight in pious conversation—but it strikes you dumb, like the man without the wedding garment. Well, in the infernal regions, you will have as little of this pious exercise, as you could wish! The patient will then be hopelessand incurable—and therefore no farther means will be used with him. Then you will no more be troubled with prayers, bibles, sermons, pious conversation, or the tedious hours of Sunday worship. And, since you have no taste for such exercises, is it not fit you should be sent into those ungodly regions, where you shall never again be employed in them?

Again, Are not the minds of some of you defiled with all manner of sin and moral pollutions? And do not those render you fit only for that region of corruption and impurity? Do you not indulge an angry, contentious, unforgiving, malicious temper? Well, that is the very temper of hell—and renders you fit for it! Nay, these outrageous passions, when broke loose from restraint, will create a hell in your own hearts, and not only expose you to punishment, according to justice—but become the ingredients of your punishment, according to the course of nature!

Do not some of you indulge yourselves in back biting, and all the base, malignant arts of defamation, and perhaps are fire-brandsin the neighbourhood where you live? Well, in hell you shall have enough of this work; and while you indulge this spirit, you are preparing yourselves for that land of universal hostility and revenge. Is not cursing and swearing the familiar language of some of you? Well, this is the language of hell—and you are now practising the infernal dialect, and preparing to converse with the fiends below in their own style, in the regions of imprecation and blasphemy!

Do not some of you live in the practice of the works of the devil; that is, of those works to which he tempts you, and in which he has persisted, who was a rebellious sinner from the beginning? Are you not then fit for that everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels? Even the gentle lips of Jesus himself would tell you, as he did the Jews—that "you are of your father the devil,"John 8:44, since you habitually do his works! And is it not fit that you should be doomed to the society of your infernal father?

Do you not find that your hearts are habitually hard and insensible? Or if you have some kind of repentance, it is only a servilehorror, extorted remorse, and involuntary pangs of desperate agony. This is the very kind of repentance in hell, where they still love sin—and yet cannot but upbraid and torment themselves, because they have ruined themselves by indulging it! Conscience tortures them with the keenest reflections; but they feel no loving sincere relenting; no godly sorrows, proceeding from a sense of the intrinsic vileness and baseness of sin—and from a sincere, unselfish love to God and holiness. Hence their repentance is only a punishment—but has no tendency to their reformation. And is not this the very nature of your repentance at present?

But I need not dwell long upon this inquiry. It is enough to tell you, in short, that if you are still in your natural state; if you still retain that temper which is natural to you as the degenerate sons of Adam, without any supernatural change; that estrangement from God; that disaffection to him; that carnality and earthly-mindedness; that blindness and insensibility about divine things; that carnal presumption, security, and love of lawless pleasure: I say, if this is still your prevailing temper—then you are not prepared or fit for the heavenly inheritance; for in order to be heirs of that, you must be born again of God. But you are fitted for destruction; for by nature—you are children of wrath, Ephesians 2:3, and while you continue such, you must be vessels of wrath.

Therefore bring the matter to a short issue, by this decisive inquiry: "Have I ever been born again? Have I ever experienced such a mighty change in the temper of my mind, as may, with propriety, be called a new birth or a new creation? For 'if any man is in Christ—he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new!' 2 Corinthians 5:17. Have I thus been renewed in the spirit of my mind? Or am I still the same old man—with my old affections and lusts?"

This, my friends, is the grand, decisive inquiry; for if you have been begotten again, Peter tells you that "God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay!" 1 Peter 1:4. But Jesus, the friend of sinners; Jesus, who never pronounced a harsh sentence, and who never will exclude from heaven one soul that is fit for it—nor doom to destruction one soul that is fit for anything else; even Jesus himself has strongly assured you with his own gracious lips, that "except a man is born again," born of the Spirit, as well as of water, "he cannot see the kingdom of heaven; for that which is born of the flesh is flesh," John 3:3, 5, 6—carnal, corrupt, unholy, and utterly unfit for that spiritual, pure, and holy kingdom!

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