Note, 1. That God is the first cause. He is the former of all things
and all persons, the fountain of being; he gave every creature the
being it has and appointed it its place. Even the wicked are his
creatures, though they are rebels; he gave them those powers with which
they fight against him, which aggravates their wickedness, that they
will not let him that made them rule them, and therefore, though he
made them, he will not save them. 2. That God is the last end. All is
of him and from him, and therefore all is to him and for him. He made
all according to his will and for his praise; he designed to serve his
own purposes by all his creatures, and he will not fail of his designs;
all are his servants. The wicked he is not glorified by, but he will be
glorified upon. He makes no man wicked, but he made those who he
foresaw would be wicked: yet he made them (Gen. vi. 6), because he knew
how to get himself honour upon them. See Rom. ix. 22. Or (as some
understand it) he made the wicked to be employed by him as the
instruments of his wrath in the day of evil, when he brings judgments
on the world. He makes some use even of wicked men, as of other things,
to be his sword, his hand (Ps. xvii. 13, 14), flagellum Dei--the
scourge of God. The king of Babylon is called his servant.