the works of john gill vol2 SAMPLE

Part 3: Chapter 7
of himself, is certain; but then, this is no contradiction to any decree
of his not to afford his grace, which he is not obliged to give.
Certain it is, that he could make all men holy if he would; and it is as
certain, that he leaves some destitute of that grace which is absolutely
necessary to enable them to be holy, and without which they cannot
be so; now, if it is not unsuitable to the holiness of providence, to leave
men destitute of that grace, which only can make them holy, it cannot
be unsuitable to the holiness of providence to decree to leave them so.
(5.) “Is it reconcileable 42 to the goodness of providence, or to the
kindness, philanthropy, the mercy, and compassion of our gracious
God, in all his providential dispensations, so highly magnified in holy
Scripture, to deal with men according to the tenor of these doctrines?”
I reply, that the doctrines of absolute election and reprobation, which
are here referred to, are entirely reconcileable to the goodness,
kindness, mercy, and compassion of God, which abundantly appear in
his saving, and determining to save, some of the sinful race of
mankind, when he could, in strict justice, have damned them all, as he
has the whole body of apostate angels; but since this has been largely
considered in this Part already, under the head of Reprobation, I shall
add no more; especially, since nothing new is offered in this inquiry.
(6.) “Doth it comport 43 with the wisdom of providence, to promise
or to threaten upon impossible conditions, an impossible condition
being, in true construction, none at all? how much less will it comport
with the same wisdom, to tender the covenant of grace to all mankind,
to whom the gospel is vouchsafed, upon conditions which the most
part of them, before that covenant was established, were utterly unable
to perform; and who, by God’s decree of preterition, were inevitably
left under that disability?”
42 Ibid. 510; ed. 2. 487.
43 Ibid. p. 509; ed. 2. 488.
33