Alan Dale Gross
Well-Known Member
"My Father Worketh Hitherto, and I Work", #Joh 5:17 in which words there is a term fixed, unto which God had Worked, the then present time Christ spoke them; but none from whence He began to Work: He had not only Worked in Providence till then, since the Creation, and not only at the Creation, but from all Eternity;
"His Active and Eternal Mind had always been at Work; the thoughts of His Heart were always Employed in Devising, Forming, and Settling things that should be Done in Time; and as the three Divine Persons were taking Infinite Delight and Pleasure in Each Other, so in the Foreviews of what would be Done by Each of them in Time, for the Setting Forth and Manifestation of their Glory.
"The Acts and Works of God may be distinguished into Internal and External. The "External" Acts and Works of God, are such as are Done in Time, visible to us, or known by us; as Creation, Providence, Redemption, &c.
"His "Internal" Acts and Works, which will be first considered, and are what were Done in Eternity, are commonly distinguished into Personal and Essential.
"Personal" Acts are such as are peculiar to each Person, and distinguish the One from the Other; and which have been taken notice of already, in treating of the Doctrine of the Trinity.
"Essential" Acts are such as are common to them All; for as they have the same Nature and Essence, they have the same Understanding, Will, and Affections; and the same Acts appropriate to these belong unto Them, both with respect to Themselves and the creatures they meant to Make; that is to say, They Mutually Know One Another, Love Each Other, and Will Each Other's Happiness and Glory; and have the same Knowledge of, Will concerning, and Affection for creatures to be Brought into Being by Them;
"and among these Internal Acts of the Mind of God, are His Purposes and Decrees; and these are "Purposed in Himself", #Eph 1:9 for what is true of one of His Purposes, is true of all; and that there are such in God is Certain; and which respect, not only the Affairs of Grace, but those of Providence; even the whole earth, and all things in it, #Ro 9:11 Eph 1:11 3:11 #Isa 14:24,27
"and which go by various names in Scripture; sometimes they are called, "the Thoughts of His Heart"; these are the Deep things of God, which lie in the inmost recesses of His Mind; are only Known by Himself, and Searched by His Spirit; as the thoughts of a man can only be known by the spirit of man within him, #Ps 33:11 #Jer 29:11 1Co 2:10,11.
"Sometimes they are called the "Counsels" of God, said to be "of Old", Ancient ones, even from Eternity; and to be "Faithfulness and Truth"; Faithfully and Truly Performed in Time, #Isa 25:1
"and their being so called does not suppose any degree of ignorance, or want of knowledge in God, or as if He was at a loss what to resolve upon; and therefore Consulted with Himself, or others, what was fittest to be Determined on;
"but because such resolutions, that are taken after mature deliberation and consultation, are generally formed in the wisest manner; and commonly most successful in the execution of them; therefore the Purposes of God, being Made with the Highest Wisdom, from thence they have the name of "Counsels".
"They are sometimes called "Decrees", and so we commonly call them; being the Determinations of the Mind of God; what He has Fixed, Settled, and Resolved upon, #Da 4:17 Zep 2:2
" and so the "Determinate Counsel" of God, #Ac 2:23 sometimes they are expressed by "Preordination" and Predestination; so Christ is said to be "Foreordained" before the Foundation of the World, #1Pe 1:20
"and men are said to be "Predestinated" to the Adoption of children, and to an Inheritance, #Eph 1:5,11 that is, afore Appointed thereunto in the Decrees of God;
"and often they are signified by His "Will" and "Pleasure"; by the "Counsel of His Will"; and by His "Counsel" and "Pleasure", #Ro 9:19 #Eph 1:11 Isa 46:10 they Containing and Expressing His Mind and Will; what it is His Pleasure should be.
"Now concerning these may be observed,
1. First, The proof to be given of them, that there are Decrees and Purposes in God; not merely ideas of things Future, but settled Determinations concerning them; which may be evinced from the Nature and Perfections of God.
"God is a Spirit, Uncreated, Infinite, Operative, and Active: He is a Pure Act, as before observed; and must have been for ever Active in Himself; His Eternal Mind must always have been Employed, and continually at Work; as the Mind of man is never without its thoughts, and the understanding has its acts, and the will its volitions; so God never was without the thoughts of His Heart, the Acts of His Understanding, and the Volitions of His Will.
"The "Sovereignty" of God over all, and His "Independency", clearly show, that whatever is Done in Time, is according to His Decrees in Eternity; for if anything Comes to Pass without the Will of God, or contrary to it, or what He has not Commanded, that is Decreed, #La 3:37
"how is He a Sovereign Being, that Does According to His Will in Heaven and in Earth, and Works all things after the Counsel of His Will? #Da 4:35 Eph 1:11
"and if anything is by chance and fortune, or the mere effect of second causes, and of the free will of men, independent of the Will of God, and if He Works under these, in subserviency to them, and takes His Measures of Operation from them, then He must be Dependent on them; and how then can it be said with Truth, that "of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things?" #Ro 11:36.
"The "Immutability" of God requires Eternal Decrees in Him, concerning everything that is in Time; for if anything is done in time, that did not fall under His Notice and Will in Eternity, this must be new to Him, and produce a change in Him;
"or if an After-Will in time arises in Him, respecting anything He would have Done, which He Willed not before, this argues a change in Him; whereas, in Him there is "no Variableness, nor Shadow of Turning".
"The Knowledge of God, supposes and clearly proves and establishes the Decrees of God; He is a "God of Knowledge, and by Him Actions are Weighed", #1Sa 2:13
"He has Knowledge of all Actions Done in Time; and such an Exact Knowledge of them, as if they were Weighed by Him, and before Him; and this Knowledge of them is not successive, as they are Performed; "Known unto God are all His Works from the Beginning", or from Eternity, #Ac 15:18
"both what He would Do Himself, and what He Wills to be Done by others: and this Knowledge is founded on His Decrees; He Knows that such and such things Will Be, because He has Determined they shall be.
"Once more, the "Wisdom" of God makes it necessary that there should be Eternal Purposes and Decrees in Him, concerning things Future; He is the All-Wise and Only Wise God, and in Wisdom Makes all His Works; which cannot be supposed to be made without previous Thoughts and Determinations concerning them: what wise man undertakes a building, without first determining what it shall be, of what materials it shall be made, in what form and manner, as well as for what end?
"And can we imagine that the All-Wise God, Who Builds all things, should Go about them without Preconcerted Measures, and Settled Determinations concerning them; "Who is Wonderful in Counsel, and Excellent in Working?" #Isa 28:29.
From: His By Grace--"John Gill: A Body of Doctrinal & Practical Divinity"-Doctrinal Book 2, Chapter 1
See also the full overall issues at
His By Grace--"John Gill: A Body of Doctrinal & Practical Divinity-Doctrinal Book 2":
"His Active and Eternal Mind had always been at Work; the thoughts of His Heart were always Employed in Devising, Forming, and Settling things that should be Done in Time; and as the three Divine Persons were taking Infinite Delight and Pleasure in Each Other, so in the Foreviews of what would be Done by Each of them in Time, for the Setting Forth and Manifestation of their Glory.
"The Acts and Works of God may be distinguished into Internal and External. The "External" Acts and Works of God, are such as are Done in Time, visible to us, or known by us; as Creation, Providence, Redemption, &c.
"His "Internal" Acts and Works, which will be first considered, and are what were Done in Eternity, are commonly distinguished into Personal and Essential.
"Personal" Acts are such as are peculiar to each Person, and distinguish the One from the Other; and which have been taken notice of already, in treating of the Doctrine of the Trinity.
| Chapter 26: Of the Unity of God |
| Chapter 27: Of a Plurality in the Godhead |
| Chapter 28: Of the Personal Relations in Deity |
| Chapter 29: Of the Distinct Personality and Deity of the Father |
| Chapter 30: Of the Distinct Personality and Deity of the Son |
| Chapter 31: Of the Distinct Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit |
"Essential" Acts are such as are common to them All; for as they have the same Nature and Essence, they have the same Understanding, Will, and Affections; and the same Acts appropriate to these belong unto Them, both with respect to Themselves and the creatures they meant to Make; that is to say, They Mutually Know One Another, Love Each Other, and Will Each Other's Happiness and Glory; and have the same Knowledge of, Will concerning, and Affection for creatures to be Brought into Being by Them;
"and among these Internal Acts of the Mind of God, are His Purposes and Decrees; and these are "Purposed in Himself", #Eph 1:9 for what is true of one of His Purposes, is true of all; and that there are such in God is Certain; and which respect, not only the Affairs of Grace, but those of Providence; even the whole earth, and all things in it, #Ro 9:11 Eph 1:11 3:11 #Isa 14:24,27
"and which go by various names in Scripture; sometimes they are called, "the Thoughts of His Heart"; these are the Deep things of God, which lie in the inmost recesses of His Mind; are only Known by Himself, and Searched by His Spirit; as the thoughts of a man can only be known by the spirit of man within him, #Ps 33:11 #Jer 29:11 1Co 2:10,11.
"Sometimes they are called the "Counsels" of God, said to be "of Old", Ancient ones, even from Eternity; and to be "Faithfulness and Truth"; Faithfully and Truly Performed in Time, #Isa 25:1
"and their being so called does not suppose any degree of ignorance, or want of knowledge in God, or as if He was at a loss what to resolve upon; and therefore Consulted with Himself, or others, what was fittest to be Determined on;
"but because such resolutions, that are taken after mature deliberation and consultation, are generally formed in the wisest manner; and commonly most successful in the execution of them; therefore the Purposes of God, being Made with the Highest Wisdom, from thence they have the name of "Counsels".
"They are sometimes called "Decrees", and so we commonly call them; being the Determinations of the Mind of God; what He has Fixed, Settled, and Resolved upon, #Da 4:17 Zep 2:2
" and so the "Determinate Counsel" of God, #Ac 2:23 sometimes they are expressed by "Preordination" and Predestination; so Christ is said to be "Foreordained" before the Foundation of the World, #1Pe 1:20
"and men are said to be "Predestinated" to the Adoption of children, and to an Inheritance, #Eph 1:5,11 that is, afore Appointed thereunto in the Decrees of God;
"and often they are signified by His "Will" and "Pleasure"; by the "Counsel of His Will"; and by His "Counsel" and "Pleasure", #Ro 9:19 #Eph 1:11 Isa 46:10 they Containing and Expressing His Mind and Will; what it is His Pleasure should be.
"Now concerning these may be observed,
1. First, The proof to be given of them, that there are Decrees and Purposes in God; not merely ideas of things Future, but settled Determinations concerning them; which may be evinced from the Nature and Perfections of God.
"God is a Spirit, Uncreated, Infinite, Operative, and Active: He is a Pure Act, as before observed; and must have been for ever Active in Himself; His Eternal Mind must always have been Employed, and continually at Work; as the Mind of man is never without its thoughts, and the understanding has its acts, and the will its volitions; so God never was without the thoughts of His Heart, the Acts of His Understanding, and the Volitions of His Will.
"The "Sovereignty" of God over all, and His "Independency", clearly show, that whatever is Done in Time, is according to His Decrees in Eternity; for if anything Comes to Pass without the Will of God, or contrary to it, or what He has not Commanded, that is Decreed, #La 3:37
"how is He a Sovereign Being, that Does According to His Will in Heaven and in Earth, and Works all things after the Counsel of His Will? #Da 4:35 Eph 1:11
"and if anything is by chance and fortune, or the mere effect of second causes, and of the free will of men, independent of the Will of God, and if He Works under these, in subserviency to them, and takes His Measures of Operation from them, then He must be Dependent on them; and how then can it be said with Truth, that "of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things?" #Ro 11:36.
"The "Immutability" of God requires Eternal Decrees in Him, concerning everything that is in Time; for if anything is done in time, that did not fall under His Notice and Will in Eternity, this must be new to Him, and produce a change in Him;
"or if an After-Will in time arises in Him, respecting anything He would have Done, which He Willed not before, this argues a change in Him; whereas, in Him there is "no Variableness, nor Shadow of Turning".
"The Knowledge of God, supposes and clearly proves and establishes the Decrees of God; He is a "God of Knowledge, and by Him Actions are Weighed", #1Sa 2:13
"He has Knowledge of all Actions Done in Time; and such an Exact Knowledge of them, as if they were Weighed by Him, and before Him; and this Knowledge of them is not successive, as they are Performed; "Known unto God are all His Works from the Beginning", or from Eternity, #Ac 15:18
"both what He would Do Himself, and what He Wills to be Done by others: and this Knowledge is founded on His Decrees; He Knows that such and such things Will Be, because He has Determined they shall be.
"Once more, the "Wisdom" of God makes it necessary that there should be Eternal Purposes and Decrees in Him, concerning things Future; He is the All-Wise and Only Wise God, and in Wisdom Makes all His Works; which cannot be supposed to be made without previous Thoughts and Determinations concerning them: what wise man undertakes a building, without first determining what it shall be, of what materials it shall be made, in what form and manner, as well as for what end?
"And can we imagine that the All-Wise God, Who Builds all things, should Go about them without Preconcerted Measures, and Settled Determinations concerning them; "Who is Wonderful in Counsel, and Excellent in Working?" #Isa 28:29.
From: His By Grace--"John Gill: A Body of Doctrinal & Practical Divinity"-Doctrinal Book 2, Chapter 1
See also the full overall issues at
His By Grace--"John Gill: A Body of Doctrinal & Practical Divinity-Doctrinal Book 2":
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