the works of john gill vol2 SAMPLE

Part 3: Chapter 7
perfections of his nature, and the glory of them. But let us attend to
what is offered in proof of this assertion, that the decree of reprobation
is plainly contrary to the nature and will of God. And,
I. It is observed 22 , that “God doth immutably and unchangeably, and
from the necessary perfection of his own nature, require that we
should love, fear, and obey him.—That he cannot but be desirous that
all men should imitate his moral and imitable perfections of holiness,
justice, truth, goodness, and mercy, all which is agreeable to the light
of nature and revelation; and therefore he cannot have decreed, that
the greatest part of men should be for ever left under an incapacity of
loving, and fearing, and obeying him; and seeing he must earnestly
desire that all men should be holy, righteous, kind, and merciful, he
cannot have ordained they should be otherwise, for want of any thing
on his part to make them so; much less can he command them under
the penalty of his severe displeasure, so to be, and yet leave them under
an incapacity of being so.” To which I reply:
1. It will be granted, that God requires all men, and it is their
indispensable duty, to love him with all their heart, soul, and strength,
to fear him always, and keep his commandments; and that he desires
that all men should imitate him in his moral perfections; all which the
heathen sages were, in some measure acquainted with by the light of
nature; and which God has more clearly discovered as his will to his
people, under the various revelations he has made: but then none of
these things contradict the decree of reprobation; for they only express
God’s will of command, and show what is man’s duty to do; and which,
if done, would be grateful and well-pleasing to God, and approved of
by him, but not his will, determining what shall be done.
Now could it be proved, that God has willed, that is, determined that
all men should love, fear, and obey him, all men would do so; for, who
hath resisted his will? This, indeed, would contradict a decree of
reprobation; then a decree to reject or punish any part of mankind
22 Whitby,p. 27, 28.
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