Ver. 3. I shall harden, &c.; not by being the efficient cause of his hardness of heart, but by permitting it; and by withdrawing grace from him, in punishment of his malice; which alone was the proper cause of his being hardened.
He took occasion even from the miracles to become more obdurate.
Yet Pharao was less impious than Calvin, for he takes the sin to himself.
Ver. 15. Pharao hardened his own heart. By this we see that Pharao was himself the efficient cause of his heart being hardened, and not God.
This is the constant doctrine of the holy fathers. S. Aug. ser. 88. de temp. q. 18. 28. 36. S. Basil, orat. "that god is not the author of evil." S. Chrys. hom. 67. in Jo. &c. Hence Origen, periar. 3. says, "The Scripture sheweth manifestly that Pharao was hardened by his own will; for God said to him, thou wouldst not: if thou wilt not dismiss Israel." Even the priests of the Philistines were so well convinced of this, that they said, (1 K. vi. 6,) Why do you harden your hearts? God therefore hardened them only by not absolutely hindering their wickedness, and by punishing them with less severity, as they did not deserve to be corrected like dear children, Hebrews xii. — Perdition is from thyself. Ose. xii. 9. Thus God cast Pharao into the sea, by permitting, not by forcing, him to enter. Ex. xv. 4. How shocking must then the blasphemous doctrine of Zuinglius, (ser. de provid. 5,) Calvin, (Instit. 8. 17,) &c. appear, who attribute every wicked deed to God, though they pretend at the same time that he is not unjust, even when he commands and impels a man to commit murder or adultery!
The light of reason may suffice to confute such absurdity.