the works of john gill vol2 SAMPLE
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The Cause <strong>of</strong> God and Truth<br />
rejecting <strong>of</strong> whole nations by <strong>the</strong> lump, for so many ages, is much more<br />
unaccountable than <strong>the</strong> selecting <strong>of</strong> a few to be infallibly conducted to<br />
salvation, and leaving o<strong>the</strong>rs in that state <strong>of</strong> disability in which <strong>the</strong>y<br />
shall inevitably fail <strong>of</strong> it. Now to this it is replied 47 :<br />
I. “That this objection doth by no means answer <strong>the</strong> chief arguments<br />
produced against <strong>the</strong>se decrees, which are all taken from <strong>the</strong><br />
inconsistency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m with <strong>the</strong> truth and sincerity <strong>of</strong> God’s<br />
declarations, with his commands to repent, his exhortations and<br />
desires that <strong>the</strong>y would, threats <strong>of</strong> ruin to <strong>the</strong>m that do not, and with<br />
all <strong>the</strong> promises, motives, and encouragements to induce <strong>the</strong>m unto<br />
it.”<br />
I observe, that this writer himself seems to be convinced, that this<br />
objection answers some, though not <strong>the</strong> chief, arguments produced<br />
against <strong>the</strong> absolute decrees <strong>of</strong> God. And as for those which are taken<br />
from <strong>the</strong> supposed inconsistency <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m with <strong>the</strong> truth and sincerity<br />
<strong>of</strong> God, in his declarations, <strong>the</strong>y have been replied to already, in this<br />
Part, under <strong>the</strong> article <strong>of</strong> Reprobation, to which <strong>the</strong> reader is referred,<br />
where it is made to appear, that <strong>the</strong>re is no inconsistency between <strong>the</strong>se<br />
decrees and <strong>the</strong> truth and sincerity <strong>of</strong> God in his declarations.<br />
It is much we should be called upon to show <strong>the</strong> like inconsistency,<br />
as is here pretended, between God’s declarations touching <strong>the</strong> hea<strong>the</strong>n<br />
world, and his dealings with <strong>the</strong>m, when it is agreed, on both sides, he<br />
has made no declarations <strong>of</strong> his mind and will to <strong>the</strong>m. This author<br />
goes on, and allows 48 , that <strong>the</strong>re is a greater depth in <strong>the</strong> divine<br />
providence, and in his dispensations towards <strong>the</strong> sons <strong>of</strong> men, than we<br />
can fathom by our shallow reason; but <strong>the</strong>n, it must be insolence in us<br />
to say, that God does not act, in <strong>the</strong> ordering <strong>of</strong> affairs in <strong>the</strong> world,<br />
according to <strong>the</strong> measures <strong>of</strong> true goodness, because we, who cannot<br />
dive into <strong>the</strong> reasons <strong>of</strong> his dispensations, cannot discern <strong>the</strong> footsteps<br />
<strong>of</strong> that goodness in all his various transactions towards men.<br />
47 Whitby, p. 515; ed. 2. 493.<br />
48 Ibid. p. 516, 517; ed. 2. 494, 495.<br />
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