God’s Righteous Providence Over the Wicked (Chapter 5, Paragraph 6)

“As for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God, as a righteous judge, for former sin doth blind and harden…”

This solemn truth reminds us that God’s providence extends even to the wicked, but in a way that displays His justice, not His saving grace. Sometimes, in response to persistent rebellion, God gives sinners over to further hardness. Romans 1:24 says, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts…” This is a form of divine judgment—not always sudden or visible, but terrifyingly real.

Blinding and hardening are not arbitrary. God is never unjust. He gives men what they desire—and withholds the grace they reject. Those who persist in sin are left to walk deeper into it, by His righteous judgment.

“…from them He not only withholdeth His grace, whereby they might have been enlightened in their understanding, and wrought upon in their hearts…”

The wicked are not abandoned to fate, but to their own hearts. God withholds the special, saving grace that would soften, renew, and convert. This does not make Him unjust—He is not obligated to give grace. Grace, by definition, is undeserved.

God’s decision to withhold grace reveals that He is sovereign over salvation and judgment. He is free to show mercy (Rom. 9:15), and free to leave others in their sin. No one is condemned who does not deserve it. But no one is saved apart from sovereign mercy.

“…but sometimes also withdraweth the gifts which they had…”

There are people who receive gifts from God—understanding, talents, influence, religious knowledge—but are not saved. When they reject what they know, God may remove those gifts (Matt. 13:12). This is a sobering reminder that religious familiarity does not equal saving grace.

King Saul is an example. He was anointed, used by God, even gifted with prophecy (1 Sam. 10:10). But when he hardened his heart, God removed His Spirit and left Saul to his madness and ruin (1 Sam. 16:14). Grace rejected is a dangerous thing.

“…and exposeth them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin…”

In judgment, God may expose the wicked to temptation, not to make them sin, but to allow their sin to be fully revealed. This is not entrapment—it is exposure. Just as sunlight reveals the flaws in a window, God’s providence sometimes allows the wicked to be placed in situations where their rebellion is shown for what it truly is.

This truth explains much about the world we live in. When evil seems rampant, when corruption prevails, it is not a sign that God has lost control. It may be that He has removed restraint as a form of judgment, letting sinners walk in the path they’ve chosen.

“…and withal gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan…”

This is one of the most terrifying judgments: when God gives a person over. It is not that God causes sin, but He removes restraint. The result is increasing bondage to lust, worldliness, and demonic influence.

Ephesians 2:2–3 describes the unregenerate as walking “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air… carrying out the desires of the body and the mind.” This is not freedom—it is slavery. And when God gives a person over to it, it is a just and holy act.

“…whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, under those means which God useth for the softening of others.”

This is a sobering irony: the same means that soften one heart may harden another. The Word of God is a double-edged sword—it brings life to some, judgment to others. The sun that melts wax hardens clay.

Pharaoh saw the power of God, yet hardened his heart. Judas heard the words of Christ, yet betrayed Him. Hebrews 6 warns of those who taste of the heavenly gift, yet fall away. When grace is rejected, it becomes a witness against the sinner.

Application for the Believer:

This doctrine should humble us and stir us to prayer. If you believe today, it is not because you are better, but because God had mercy on you. You did not soften your own heart—He did. Let this move you to gratitude and reverence. And as you witness the rebellion of the world, do not despair. God is not defeated by evil. He is ruling over it. Pray for the lost, proclaim the gospel, and remember: even the wicked are not beyond His control. Their deeds will serve His purposes. His justice will not fail. His glory will be revealed.