the works of john gill vol2 SAMPLE

The Cause of God and Truth
their own wickedness; nor is his command, even under the penalty of
his severe displeasure, that they be holy, righteous, kind, and merciful,
inconsistent with his leaving them, or his determining to leave them in
an incapacity of being so; since, as has been shown, that incapacity is
from themselves.
II. The decree of reprobation is represented 25 as “contrary to the
mercy of God, and as charging him with cruelty and want of
compassion to the greatest part of mankind.” The mercy of God is
either general or special. The general mercy of God reaches to all his
creatures; his tender mercies are over all his works 26 . From a share in
this, the decree of reprobation does not exclude any man; reprobates
may have a larger share of providential mercies and goodness than
others; wherefore the decree of reprobation is not contrary to the
mercy of God in general.
The special mercy of God, as it is guided by the sovereign will of
God; for he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he
will, he hardeneth 27 ; so it is, indeed, limited to the elect, who are styled
vessels of mercy, in distinction from the non-elect, who are called
vessels of wrath.
This mercy, which lies in pardoning sin, in regenerating men’s hearts,
in their final perseverance and complete salvation, the decree of
reprobation denies to the objects of it; with such a mercy dispensing
these blessings of grace to all men, the decree of reprobation cannot
stand, we freely own: but then it does not appear to us that there is any
such mercy in God, dispensing pardoning, regenerating, and
persevering grace, to all men, for there are some, that he that made
them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show
them no favour 28 ; could it be proved that there is such a mercy in God,
25 Remonstr. Act. Synod. circ. art. 1. p. 242; Curcellæus, p. 370; Limborch, p. 339.
26 Psalm 145:9.
27 Rom. 9:18.
28 Isa. 27:11.
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