the works of john gill vol2 SAMPLE

Part 4: – A Vindication
To which I heartily agree; and it would have been well if this author,
and others of the same cast with him, had carefully attended to such
an observation, and contented themselves with such a view of things;
which must have stopped their mouths from calumniating the
goodness of God, on a supposition of his absolute decrees of election
and reprobation. It is further observed 49 , “that what God hath plainly
and frequently revealed concerning his goodness, ought firmly to be
owned and believed, although we are not able to discern how the
transactions of God in the world comport with our imperfect
knowledge and weak notions of immense and boundless goodness.”
All very right.
To which is added 50 , that “seeing the revelations of this nature (of
divine goodness) are so clear and copious, have we not reason to
believe them, notwithstanding those little scruples which, from our
fond ideas and imperfect notions of divine goodness, we do make
against them?” But, pray, what are these plain and frequent, clear and
copious, revelations of divine goodness? and what the things that are
not so clearly revealed? why, we are told, that to apply these things to
our subject,
1. “We know from Scripture, how dreadful for quality, how endless
for duration, will be the punishment of every Christian who fails of the
salvation tendered; but we know so little of the future state of
heathens, that we are uncertain both as to the measure and duration of
their punishment.”
Now not to take notice, that salvation is not tendered, and that a
Christian, or one that truly deserves that name, cannot fail of it, or be
liable to endless punishment; it is strange, that the dreadful punishment
of any, and the endless duration of it, should be mentioned among the
plain and frequent, clear and copious revelations of divine goodness,
49 Ibid. p. 517; ed. 2. 495.
50 Ibid. p. 519; ed. 2. 496.
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