Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_000.lzh/D_051.TXT

Text File | 1994-07-14 | 7KB | 132 lines

CAM'. XI.                                       OF THE WILL OF GOD.

conversion of the Jews, and the bringing in of the fulness
of the Gentiles; and the spiritual and personal kingdom
of Christ. These are now already revealed, though the
time when they will take place is still in the secret will
of God. The providence of God may be considered as
special with respect to particular persons; there is a pur-
pose or secret will of God, with respect to every man;
and there is a time fixed for every purpose; a time to be
born, and a time to die; and for every thing that befals
men between their birth and death: all which open in
time, in providence; and what was secret becomes re-
vealed: so we know that we are born, who our parents,
the time and circumstances of our birth, as related to
us; we know what has befallen us, whether in an ad-
verse or prosperous way; God has performed what is
appointed for us, as Job says of himself; but then, as
he observes, many such. things are with him, in his secret
will. We know not what shall befal us; and though we
know that we shall die, that is revealed; but when and
where, in what manner and circumstance, we know not;
that remains in the secret will of God. Some things which
belong to the secret will of God become revealed by pro-
phecy; so it was made known to Abraham, that his seed,
according to the secret will or purpose of God, should be
in a land, not theirs, four hundred years, and be afflicted,
and come out with great substance: nor did God hide
from Abraham what he secretly willed to do, in destroy-
ing Sodore and Gomorrah: and, indeed, it has been
usual for the Lord to do nothing but what he reveals to
his servants the prophets; particularly all things concern-
ing Christ, his incarnation, offices, obedience, sufferings,
and death, and the glory that should follow, were all sig-
nified beforehand, to the prophets, by the Spirit of Christ
in them.
The will of God, which he would have done by men,
is revealed in the law, that is called his will, Rom. ii. 18.
This was made known to Adam, by inscribing it on his
heart, whereby he knew his duty to God, to be performed
by him; this, though sadly obliterated by sin, yet there
are some remains of it in the Gentiles, who do by nature
the things contained in it; which shew the work of the
law written in their hearts: a new edition of this law
was delivered to the Israelites, written on tables of stone,
by the finger of God; according to which they were to
behave themselves, and hold the tenure of the land of
Canaan, and enjoy the privileges of it: and in regene-
ntion the law of God is put into the inward parts, and
written on the hearts of God's people; who being trans-
formed, by the renewing of their minds, come to know
what is the good, perfect, and acceptable will of God,
Rom. xii. 2. This respects man's duty both to God and
men.
There is the revealed will of God in the Gospel;
which respects the kind intentions, and gracious regards
of God to meni and discovers what before was his secret
will concerning them; as, that he has chosen some to
everlasting life and happiness; that he has appointed
these to salvation by Christ; and appointed him to be
their Saviour; that Christ undertook to do this will of
God, and came from heaven to earth to do it, and has
finished it; and that it is the will of God that these
should be regenerated and sanctified; and "that they
thoud never perish, but have everlasting life," Eph. i.

4, 5. John vi. 38. 1 Thess. iv. 3. John vi. 39, 40. Matt.
xviii. 14. But then, though all this is the revealed will
of God, in the Gospel, yet as to particular persons in-
terested herein, it is, in a great measure, a secret; elec-
tion of God, and so the rest, may be known by the Gos-
pel coming with power into the heart, and by a work of
grace upon it; and the knowledge of it should be sought
after; yet it is not attained to but by such who are fa-
youred with a full assurance of faith; and as to others,
though it may, in a judgment of charity, because of their
declared experiences, their savoury discourses, and holy
conversation, be concluded of them, that tltey are the
elect of God, &c. yet it cannot be certainly known, but
by divine revelation, as it might be by the apostle, that
Clement, and other fellowdabourers of his, had their
names written in the book of life, Phil. iv. 3. It is the
revealed will of God, that there shall be a resurrection
of the dead, both of the just and unjust; and that all
must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that
after death there will be a judgment; and though it is
revealed, that a day is fixed, as well as a person appointed
to judge the world in ri,ghteousness; yet "of that day and
hour knows no man; no, not the angels; but God
only. So that, upon the whole, though there is some
foundation for this distinction of the secret and revealed
will of God, yet it is not quite clear; there is a mixture,
part of the .will of God is, as yet, secret, and part of it
revealed, with respect to the same subject, as what has
been observed plainly shews.
The most accurate distinction of the will of God, is
into that of precept and purpose; or the commanding
and decreeing will of God.
God's will of precept, or his commanding will, is that
which is often spoken of in ScriptUre; as what should
be done by men, and which is desirable they might have
knowledge of, and be complete in, Matt. vii. 21. and xii.
50. Col. i. 10. and iv. 12. This is the rule of mens'
duty; which consists of the fear of God, and keeping his
commands; this is done but by a few, and by none per-
fectly; every sin is a transgression of it; when it is done
aright it is done in faith, from love, and to the glory of
God: every good man desires to do it in the best man-
ner, and, if it could be, perfectly; even as it is done by
angels in heaven. God, by the declaration of this his will,
shews what he approves of, and what is acceptable to
him, when done aright; and is made to render men in-
excusable that do it not, and to make it appear right in
justice to inflict punishment on such persons.
The decreeing will of God is only, properly speaking,
his Will; the other is his Word: this is the rule of his
own act, ions; he does all things in heaven and earth after
his will, the counsel of it; and this wfil is always do. he,
cannot be resisted, frustrated, and made void; he does
whatever he wills; "his counsel stands, and the thoughts
of Iris heart are to all generations ;" and this is some-
times fulfilled by those who have no regard to his will of
precept, and have no knowledge of this, even while they
are doing it; as Herod and Pontins Pilate, the Jews and
Gentiles, in doing what they did against Christ, Acts iv.
27, 28. and the ten kings, into whose hearts God put it
to fulfil his will, in giving their kingdoms to the beast,
Rev. xvii. 17. and this will of God should be bore in
mind in every thing we intend to do or go about; saying,