Is God Partial?

But is God partial? We answer, Has He not a right to be? Again we quote from Mr. Spurgeon’s sermon “The Royal Prerogative” -“Spiritually, too, this prerogative is with God. We are by nature under the condemnation of the law on account of our sins, and we are like criminals tried, convicted, sentenced, and left for death. It is for God, as the great Judge, to see the sentence executed, or to issue a free pardon, according as He pleases; and He will have us know that it is upon His supreme pleasure that this matter depends. Over the head of a universe of sinners, I hear this sentence thundering. ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ Shut up for death, as men are by reason of their sins, it rests with God to pardon whom He may reserve: none have any claim to His favour, and it must be exercised upon mere prerogative, because He is the Lord God, merciful and gracious, and delighteth to pass by transgression and sin.” How far away have the present-day admirers of Spurgeon departed from the teaching of this prince of preachers: Mark carefully the next sentences: “Our text, however, puts the prerogative upon the one sole ground of Lordship, and we prefer to come back to that. ‘Unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.’ It is a doctrine which is very unpalatable in these days (it always has been.—A.W.P.), but one nevertheless which is to be held and taught, that God is an absolute Sovereign, and doeth as He wills. The words of Paul may not be suffered to sleep,—‘Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast Thou made me thus?’ The Lord cannot do amiss, His perfect nature is a law unto itself. In his case Rex is Lex, the King is the Law.”