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The Cause of God and Truth So the determining the everlasting fate of souls, or the appointing of them to damnation, is not without respect to evil done by them: though this is to be considered, not as the cause of God’s decree, which is his own sovereign pleasure, but as the cause or reason of the thing decreed: so that this is not without reason on the part of God, nor without cause on their parts. And hence the entrance of each of these persons upon their everlasting state, so determined, though not the determination of it, is suspended until these several things take place. And where is the injustice or unmercifulness of such a procedure? But, perhaps the cruelty lies here, that “God determines of the everlasting fate of the souls he daily doth create after the fall of Adam;” the meaning of which is, either that God has determined the everlasting fate of souls, and appointed them to damnation after the fall of Adam, which is what we deny; since no decree or determination of God is temporal, but eternal: or that God has appointed men to damnation for the sin of Adam, in consideration of his fall, and their concern in it: a doctrine, by no means to be rejected, since death hath passed upon all men: for that, or in him, that is, Adam, all have sinned 32 ; and by his offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; it can never be unworthy of God, or contrary either to his justice or mercy, to determine the everlasting fate of men, considered as fallen in Adam, by resolving to punish some and spare others. Though none, as I know of, affirm, that God has appointed such who live to riper years, to damnation purely for the sin of Adam, but for their own actual transgressions; and as for such who die in infancy, God’s determinations about them are a secret to us; and if they perish, it is for, and in the corruption of nature in which they are born. Or the meaning is, that “it must be a piece of cruelty in God, daily to create souls after the fall of Adam, whose everlasting fate was before determined, without any respect to good or evil done by them.” 32 Rom. 5:12, 18. 28
Part 3: Chapter 7 Now, though God’s decree or determination, concerning the final state of man, was before they had done either good or evil, nor was good or evil the cause of his decree; yet neither salvation nor damnation were decreed without respect to good or evil, as has been shown; and, therefore, it could not be unworthy of God to bring creatures into being, whose everlasting fate he had before determined, no, not after the fall of Adam; since the souls he has since created, and daily does create, are not made sinful by him, nor are they created by him for misery, but for his own glory. 3. This decree is represented as unworthy of the God of love and mercy 33 , since it “leaves men incapable of salvation; and then God not only bids them save themselves, invites, encourages, sends messengers to entreat them to be reconciled, knowing he doth all this in vain, when he does no more; and then eternally torments them for neglecting that salvation; though he knows they never can do otherwise, without that grace which he hath absolutely purposed for ever to deny to, or withhold from them.” I answer: negative reprobation, or the act of preterition, in the Supralapsarian way, neither finds nor leaves men incapable of salvation; but as it finds so it leaves them, in the pure, unfallen, and uncorrupted mass. The decree of damnation finds and leaves men sinners; yet not the decree, but final impenitence and infidelity, leave them incapable of salvation; for the gospel declaration is indefinitely made 34 , Whosoever believeth shall be saved: but though the gospel is preached or published to all men, yet God no where bids all men to save themselves; nor does he any where invite, encourage, or, by his messengers, entreat all men to be reconciled to him. Peter 35 , indeed, exhorted and encouraged the three thousand converts to save themselves from that untoward generation, among whom they lived, by separating from them, and professing the name of Christ; and the 33 Whitby, p. 29. 34 Mark 16:16. 35 Acts 2:40. 29
Page 1 and 2: Contents of the Works of John Gill
Page 3 and 4: The WORKS OF JOHN GILL, D.D. Volume
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS Publisher’s Note .......
Page 7 and 8: 24. Ambrosius Mediolanensis A.D. 38
Page 9: Publisher’s Note It is hoped that
Page 12 and 13: The Cause of God and Truth remember
Page 14 and 15: The Cause of God and Truth 1894). 1
Page 16 and 17: ORIGINAL PREFACE It should be known
Page 18: The Cause of God and Truth C A U S
Page 21 and 22: Part 3: Chapter 7 perfections of hi
Page 23 and 24: Part 3: Chapter 7 new covenant; in
Page 25 and 26: Part 3: Chapter 7 preparing for and
Page 27: Part 3: Chapter 7 misery of a creat
Page 31 and 32: Part 3: Chapter 7 wishes, that they
Page 33 and 34: Part 3: Chapter 7 of himself, is ce
Page 35 and 36: Part 3: Chapter 7 the latter, were
Page 37 and 38: CHAPTER 8 OF THE STATE AND CASE OF
Page 39 and 40: Part 4: - A Vindication To which I
Page 41 and 42: Part 4: - A Vindication 1. Justin M
Page 43 and 44: Part 4: - A Vindication Adam,” wh
Page 46 and 47: SCRIPTURE INDEX Volume 2 Genesis 49
Page 48 and 49: 9:14 ........................ 237 9

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