ROMANS 9:15-25 C. H. Cayce Our opinion is that Brother Harder wished the foregoing passages harmonized with Rom. 9:15-25. There is a seeming contradiction to some in these, but there is no contradiction, and the seeming contradiction vanishes when the foregoing passages are rightly applied. In Rom. 9:21 the apostle says, “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour?” This refers to the case of the prophet going down to the house of the potter and seeing the potter at work. A vessel was marred in the hands of the potter. Then be took clay of the same lump and made another vessel as seemed good to the potter to make it. In the beginning, or in the morning of creation, God made the man. The vessel was marred in the hands of his Creator by sin. Now, God takes clay of the same lump (for all are alike by nature) and makes vessels unto honor, as seems good to Him to make them. He does not make a vessel unto honor provided the clay becomes willing, but as it pleases Him. He does not save one man and not another because the one man is better clay than the other, but He saves as it pleases Him. Verse sixteen says, “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Salvation is of God, and He shows mercy in saving. It is His work to save. “It is not of Him that willeth.” Our will is not consulted as to whether they will be saved, yet He makes them willing by the regenerating power of His Holy Spirit. They are shown the awful depravity and corruption of their own hearts, are given a new and higher order of life, and then they begin to hate and to abhor sin and to love righteousness and holiness; and their will is now sweetly inclined to that which is holy and righteous. The Primitive Baptist, April 21, 1908.