Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! I. THE EXPLICATION OF THE TERMS. 1. That God is the first cause, signifies — (1) Negatively, that He had no cause, and is independent of every other being, and is eternally of Himself. (2) Positively, that He is the cause and support of all things besides Himself (John 1:3). 2. The last end; i.e., that all things refer to Him; the aim of all things is the illustration of His glory, and the manifestation of His perfections. II. THE CONFIRMATION OF THE PROPOSITION. 1. By natural light. (1) The notion of a God contains in it all possible perfection. Now the utmost perfection we can imagine is for a being to be always of itself, and to be the cause and support of all other things. From hence follows that all things must refer to Him as their last end. For every wise agent acts in order to an end. Now the end which is most worthy the attaining is the manifestation of God's being and perfection, which is called God's glory. (2) These titles were discovered by the natural light of the heathens. Aristotle called God the first being, the first cause, and the first mover; and Plato calls God the author and parent of all things, the architect of the world, and of all creatures, the fountain and original of all things. Porphyry calls Him "the first," from whence he reasons that He is the ultimate end, and that all things move towards God; that all motions centre in Him, because, saith he, it is most proper and natural for things to refer to their original, and to refer all to Him from whom they receive all. Antoninus, speaking of nature (which with the Stoics signifies God), had these words, "Of Thee are all things, in Thee are all things, to Thee are all things." 2. From Scripture. (1) Hither belong all those places where He declares Himself to be "the first and the last" (Isaiah 41:4; Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 48:12, 13; Revelation 1:8). (2) But more expressly, see 1 Corinthians 8:6; Acts 17:24. (3) Hither we may refer those texts which attribute the same to the Second Person in the Trinity {John 1:3, 10; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16, 17; Hebrews 1:2, 3). III. THE APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE. 1. If God be the first cause of all things, from hence let us learn — (1) With humility and thankfulness to own, admire, and bless God as the author of our being and of all the blessings we enjoy (Revelation 4:11; Psalm 103:1-4). With patience and quietness to submit to all events that come upon us, as coming from Him (1 Samuel 3:18; Psalm 39:9). 2. If God be the last end of all, let us make Him our last end, and refer all our actions to His glory (Matthew 22:37; 1 Corinthians 10:31). (Abp. Tillotson.) Parallel Verses KJV: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! |
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