the works of john gill vol2 SAMPLE

CHAPTER 8
OF THE STATE AND CASE OF THE HEATHENS
In favour of the doctrines of absolute election and reprobation,
particular redemption, and special grace in conversion, we observe,
that, for many ages, God suffered the heathen world to walk in their
own ways, leaving them without a revelation of his mind and will,
without the gospel, and means of grace; and which has been, and still
is, the case of multitudes to this day.
This it cannot reasonably be thought he would have done, had it
been according to the counsel of his will that all the individuals of
mankind should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; or
had Christ died for and redeemed them all; or was it the will of God
to bestow on all men sufficient grace, whereby they may be saved.
Nor can it be thought that God deals more severely with men,
according to the above doctrines, than he seems to have done with the
heathen world in this respect: particularly, in favour of God’s decrees,
it is observed, that if God conveys his gospel to, and bestows the
means of grace on some people, and not on others, when the one are
no more worthy of it than the other, and so must arise from his free
grace, sovereign pleasure, and the counsel of his will; why may not the
decree of the end of bestowing salvation on some, and not on others,
as well as the decree of the means of sending the gospel to some, and
not to others, be thought to be equally free, absolute, and sovereign?
And seeing it is in fact certain, that the greatest part of mankind have
been always left destitute of the means of grace, we need not wonder
why that God, who freely communicates the knowledge of himself by
the gospel to some nations, denying it to others, should hold the same
method with individuals that he doth with whole bodies; for the