Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness
The apostle anticipates an objection against what he had said,
taken from the prosperity of these persons; who might conclude
from thence, that they were not so wicked as he had represented
them; and that they should escape the judgment of God, otherwise
they would have been punished by God in this life, and not have
prospered as they did; which objection is removed by observing,
that it was not their innocence, but "the riches of" divine
"goodness, and longsuffering and forbearance", which were the
causes of their prosperity: by "the riches of God's goodness",
are not meant the riches of his special, spiritual, and eternal
goodness, which his own people are only partakers of: but the
general riches of his temporal and providential goodness, which
the men of the world have commonly the greatest share of; they
have it in great plenty, which is signified by "riches": and by
his "longsuffering and forbearance" are designed, not his
forbearance of his chosen ones and his longsuffering to them,
which issue in their salvation; but his forbearance of sinners,
and longsuffering towards them, in not as yet pouring down his
wrath and displeasure on them; all which are "despised" by them;
the riches of his goodness, when he is not glorified for his
providential mercies, and in them, and when these are abused to
the lusts of men. The
forbearance
of God is despised, when men on account of it harden themselves
in sin; and his
longsuffering,
when they deny his concern in Providence, or a future judgment,
and promise themselves impunity. Moreover, the apostle obviates
the above objection by asserting that God's end in his goodness,
forbearance, and longsuffering, was not to testify to their
innocence, as they imagined, but to lead them to repentance, of
which they were ignorant;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance.
This is to be understood not of a spiritual and evangelical
repentance, which is a free grace gift, and which none but the
Spirit of God can lead, or bring persons to; but of a natural and
legal repentance, which lies in an external sorrow for sin, and
in an outward cessation from it, and reformation of life and
manners, which the goodness of God to the Jews should have led
them to; who had a large share of the good things of life, a land
flowing with milk and honey, and many outward privileges which
other nations had not, as the giving of the law, the covenant and
promises, the word and ordinances; and repentance here chiefly
designs, as it may respect the Gentiles, a change of mind and
practice in them relating to idolatry and superstition Now the
providential goodness of God has a tendency to lead persons to
repentance on this account; but of this end of divine goodness
the Gentiles were ignorant; nor was this end answered thereby;
which shows the wretched depravity of human nature; see (
Acts
14:15-17 ) .