“…for He is kind [Greek: “gracious”] unto the unthankful and to the evil.”
Lk. 6:35
“O man… despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”
Rom. 2:3-5
“The Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man…”
Gen. 6:3
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Subsection
Virtues & Good Works of Unbelievers
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Order of Contents
What is Common Grace?
Where to Start?
Collections of Quotes 9
Articles 12+
Historical 3
Common Love 30+
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What is Common Grace?
A summary of the three points that the Christian Reformed Church adopted in 1924. For the full statement of the points, see here.
1. In addition to the saving grace of God, shown only to those who are elected to eternal life, there is also a certain favor, or grace, of God shown to his creatures in general.
2. Since the fall, human life in society remains possible because God, through his Spirit, restrains the power of sin.
3. God, without renewing the heart, so influences human beings that, though incapable of doing any saving good, they are able to do civil good.
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Where to Start?
Articles
Fentiman, Travis – Bible Verses on Common Grace and the Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel, 2014, 35+ passages with commentary
The Difference Between Reformed Common Grace & Arminian Common Grace
Louis Berkhof and William Shedd, both reformed theologians, distinguish the difference very clearly.
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Quote
William Shedd
Calvinism: Pure & Mixed (1893; rep. Banner of Truth, 1993), p. 105
“Is it inconsistent in God to do any kind and degree of good to a sinner, if He has decided not to do the highest kind and degree of good in his power? Shall God do nothing at all that is kind and gracious to a sinful man, unless He has decided to overcome all the opposition that He may make to his kindness and grace? Must God make no offer of mercy to a sinner, unless He has decided to make him accept it?
There never was an age of the world when men more needed than now to be reminded that they are resisting the common grace of God, and rejecting his universal offer of mercy [in the gospel], and this in so doing they run the great hazard of God’s preterition [passing them over].”
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Collections of Historic Reformed Quotes
Webpages at RBO
Historic Reformed Quotes on Common Grace
On Calvin
John Calvin Quotes on Common Grace
John Calvin Quotes on God’s Love for all Mankind
John Calvin Quotes on the Fatherhood of God over all Men
The Westminster Standards & Divines on Common Grace
Historic Reformed Quotes on the Common Operations of the Spirit, including the Spirit’s resistible influences in drawing people to Christ
Historic Reformed Quotes on Redemptive Benefits for the Reprobate
Witsius, Charnock, Cunningham, and Dabney all affirm Limited Atonement. They also affirm the Biblical doctrine that Christ, in his Atonement, purchased and intended non-saving benefits to the reprobate. Cunningham and Dabney are particularly good.
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Articles with quotes
Myers, Andrew – ‘The Three-fold Love of God’ (2011) 29 paragraphs, being a collection of 9 quotes from historic reformed writers
God has a three fold love: (1) for all his creatures, (2) for all people, and (3) a special love only for his elect. 9 historic reformed writers are quoted to this effect: Turretin, Leigh, Collinges, a Brakel, Jenkyn, Ussher, Gill, Hodge and Berkhof.
‘Do the Canons of Dort Preclude Common Grace?’ by Turretinfan, 6 paragraphs
No. The the third and fourth heads, article five, condemn the Arminian construction and use of common grace, but not the concept itself. Common grace is defined in the Canons as the “light of nature”, and is positively affirmed by the third and fourth heads, article four.
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Articles
1500’s
Viret, Pierre – A Christian Instruction… (London: Veale, 1573)
A Familiar Exposition of the Principal Points of the Catechism
12th Dialogue: Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost which are Common to the Elect & to the Reprobates
Of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost given to the wicked
For what Cause God sometime does communicate to the wicked of the gifts of the Holy Ghost, the which He does not communicate to the elect
Of the Gifts of God which are most excellent and most to be desired
Of the True Knowledge of God proper only to his elect, and of the general which is common to all men
How that the Wicked which prophecy do understand or not understand their own very prophecies
How that the True Knowledge of God comprehends both the understanding and the will
Of the True & Full reformation of man, and of the parts thereof
Of those which Offend more through malice than by ignorance
Of those which Sin more through ignorance than through malice
Of the Comparison between those which offend of malice, and those which offend through ignorance
The Exposition of the Preface of the Law
In what sort God is generally called the God of all men, and chiefly the God of his chosen people
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1600’s
Durham, James – 3, ‘Concerning the Nature & Difference of Saving & Common Grace’ in A Commentary upon the Book of the Revelation... (Edinburgh, 1658), pp. 119-45
Turretin, Francis – at Calvin & Calvinism
‘Turretin on Common & Special Grace’
This collection of quotes is significant as Turretin has a section in his Institutes on the love and grace of God, where he limits his language so as not to use grace of persons who are reprobates. Yet this collection shows the many places where Turretin does use that language of reprobates.
‘Turretin: the Reprobate not denied all of God’s favour’
van Mastricht, Peter – section 10 in A Treatise on Regeneration… (New Haven, 1770), Doctrinal Part, pp. 21-22
This is an excellent summary of the numerous distinctions that reformed scholasticism made and affirmed on the subject; it gives the many uses and purposes of common grace as well.
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1700’s
De Moor, Bernard – Continuous Commentary, ch. 4
41. ‘God’s Love of Benevolence & Complacency’
42. ‘The Grace of God’
42. ‘Classes & Categories of Grace’
43. ‘Mercy of God’
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1800’s
Bavinck, Herman – ‘Calvin & Common Grace’ Buy (1909) p. 99 ff. 30 pp. from Calvin & the Reformation: Four Studies ed. William P. Armstrong trans. Geerhardus Vos
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1900’s
Berkhof, Louis
Systematic Theology (1950)
‘The General & Special Operations of the Holy Spirit’ 9 paragraphs
Berkhof shows from scripture all the beneficial operations of the Holy Spirit upon believer and ubeliever, elect and reprobate alike
‘The Goodness of God’ 15 paragraphs
Berkhof expounds God’s goodness, love, grace, mercy, and longsuffering to both believers and unbelievers alike, elect and reprobate
‘Common Grace’ 32 paragraphs
Berkhof unfolds this Biblical doctrine from Church history, examines the name and concept of it, posits its relation to the atonement and special grace, and delineates its means and fruits, as well as answers objections to it.
‘The Three Points in All Parts Reformed’ (1925) 21 paragraphs
This is all the collected quotes from Berkhof’s Dutch, De Drie Punten in Alle Deelen Gereformeerd, that have been translated into English, where he defends the three points of Common Grace asserted by the Christian Reformed Church just a year earlier.
Christian Reformed Church, ‘The Three Points of Common Grace’ (1924) 3 paragraphs
This is the historic classic, three-part definition of Common Grace
Van Til, Cornelius – ‘Common Grace’ (1941) 23 pp.
Sproul, R.C. – ‘A Loving Provision’ no date 9 paragraphs
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2000’s
Fentiman, Travis – ‘Jesus the Friend of Sinners’ (2014) 10 paragraphs
Is Jesus friendly to the unconverted? The Bible says Yes, as well as historic reformed theology.
Nally, Joseph – What is Common Grace HTML, no date, 21 paragraphs
A good introduction to what common grace is with numerous historic reformed quotes.
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Historical
On Calvin
Article
Helm, Paul – ch. 10, ‘Pure Nature & Common Grace’ Abstract in Calvin at the Centre (Oxford University Press, 2009)
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Book
Kuiper, Herman – Calvin on Common Grace Buy (1928)
Kuiper (1889-1963) was a minister in the Christian Reformed Church (C.R.C.) and a professor at Calvin Seminary. Kuiper studied under Louis Berkhof, A.A. Hodge, Geerhardus Vos and B.B. Warfield. This work of his was historically significant during the debates that followed the C.R.C.’s assertion of the 3 Points of Common Grace in 1924.
This is the most detailed, careful and definitive work (being an anthology of extended quotes with analysis) that demonstrates that Calvin explicitly, repeatedly and frequently taught throughout his Institutes and commentaries that:
(1) God gives common grace to all men,
(2) that God’s common grace in the Covenant extends to the reprobate, and
(3) that God desires all men to embrace the gospel and be saved.
Read Calvin for yourself and see what he says. The appendix to the book (p. 239) gives a survey of the doctrine of common grace in the theological writings (many of which remain in Latin or Dutch) of Peter van Mastricht, Johannes Marck, Wilhelmus a Brakel, Bernhardinus de Moor, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge, Herman Bavinck, Abraham Kuyper and V. Hepp.
Kuiper’s work is very hard to come buy on the used market, if it is available at all, and is very pricey if one can find it at all.
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On Kuyper
Zuidema, S. U. – ‘Common Grace & Christian Action in Abraham Kuyper’ (no date) 50 pp. at Reformational Digital Library
Zuidema is sympathetic to Kuyper.
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In the American Dutch Context
Masselink, William – General Revelation & Common Grace: A Defense of the Historic Reformed Faith over against the Theology & Philosophy of the so-called “Reconstructionist” Movement Ref Buy (Eerdmans, 1953) 407 pp.
Masselink was a professor at the Reformed Bible Institute in Grand Rapids. In the “Reconstructionist” movement Masselink includes Klaas Schilder, Herman Dooyeweerd and Cornelius Van Til. Masselink is in support of Kuyper and arrays quotes of Bavinck, Warfield, Hodge, Machen and Hepp against the “Reconstructionist” movement.
See a critique of Masselink by Adam Persenaire, ‘Review: General Revelation & Common Grace’ in The “Reconstructionists” Defended, vol. 2, issue 5 (1952).
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On God’s Common Love as Creator
Collections
John Calvin Quotes on God’s Love for all Mankind
‘John Calvin on General Love’ at Calvin & Calvinism
Myers, Andrew – ‘The Three-fold Love of God’ (2011) 29 paragraphs, being a collection of 9 quotes from historic reformed writers
God has a three fold love: (1) for all his creatures, (2) for all people, and (3) a special love only for his elect. 9 historic reformed writers are quoted to this effect: Turretin, Leigh, Collinges, a Brakel, Jenkyn, Ussher, Gill, Hodge and Berkhof.
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Article
Vos, Geerhardus – pp. 13-14 of “The Scriptural Doctrine of the Love of God” in The Presbyterian & Reformed Review, no. 13 (1902)
“…our Lord also taught the universality of the love of God in the numerical sense of appropriating it to every individual man…
…in the second place, that the work of redemption itself bears in our Lord’s representation a broad cosmical character… Especially the doctrine of the kingdom in its eschatological aspect clearly reveals that the divine love sets for its goal not the saving of isolated individuals out of the world, but the salvation of the world as an
organic whole…
There is, however, still a third sense, in which Jesus leads us to ascribe universality to the divine love. This is done not so much in explicit form as by the implications of His attitude toward sinful men in general.”
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Order of Quotes
Bucer
Knox
Olevian
Tossanus
Polanus
Polyander
Rutherford
Binning
Twisse
Burgess
Vincent
Pearse
Hall
Durham
Ley
Trapp
Bunyan
Manton
Turretin
Collinges
Tong
E. Erskine
De Moor
Candlish
Shedd
Berkhof
Muller
Hulse
Carson
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1500’s
Martin Bucer
Common Places of Martin Bucer, trans. & ed. D.F. Wright (England: Sutton Courtenay Press, 1972), Election, pp. 109-18
“The words ‘in love’ [in Eph. 1:4] allow of two senses: either of our kindness and love towards our neighbor through which imitating God Himself as best we can through his Spirit dwelling within us, we eagerly do good to all men; or of the love of us in an objective sense, the love wherewith God has loved us–so that we have a further mention of the cause of our election, which is solely the boundless love of God with which he embraces us in his Son.”
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John Knox
“On Predestination” in The Works of John Knox, ed. David Laing (Edinburgh: J. Thin, 1895), 5:150-51
“The Lord therefore did raise up his prophet Malachi (who was the last before Christ) sharply to rebuke, and plainly to convict this horrible ingratitude of that unthankful nation, who so shamefully had forgotten those so great benefits recently bestowed upon them. And thus begins he his prophecy: “I have loved you, sayeth the Lord,” in which words he speaks not of a common love, which in preserving and feeding all creatures is common to the reprobate, but of that love by the which he had sanctified and separated them from the rest of nations, to have his glory manifested.”
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Caspar Olevian
An Exposition of the Apostle’s Creed (London, 1581), pt. 2, What the meaning of these words is, ‘His only begotten Son’
“Then also, that we be no less undoubtedly persuaded of the wonderful love of God towards us, surmounting the love of all creatures, who has so loved the world that He has given his only begotten Son that all that believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, Jn. 3.”
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Daniel Tossanus
A Theological Disputation on that Place of Paul, 1 Cor. 15:22, ‘As in Adam All Die, so in Christ All shall be Made Alive’, & of this Question, Whether Christ has Died for All?, pt. 5 tr. Michael Lynch (Heidelberg, 1589)
“41. And indeed, God loves all his creatures, insofar as they are his creatures, but not with the same level of love. For he loves some in Christ, whom he chose in Christ from eternity according to the will of his good pleasure. He does not love the reprobate in the same way, whom nevertheless he does not damn as innocent, but on account of their voluntary wickedness and willful unbelief.”
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1600’s
Amandus Polanus
Syntagma Theologiae Christianae, 2.122, quoted by Heinrich Heppe, Reformed Dogmatics, p. 95. The whole, large quote is Heppe’s; the small quotes inside it are from Polanus’.
“‘The love of God is the essential property or essence of God, whereby delighting Himself in it, He wishes it the good which He approves.’ To be distinguished are ‘the general love of God’, the object of which is creation generally, so that ‘no one either of men or even of demons may say that he is not loved by God’; God hates the sin in the godless, but loves the nature created by Him — and the ‘special love of God, by which He peculiarly pursues the separate elect.’”
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Johannes Polyander
Synopsis of Pure Theology (Brill, 2016), vol. 2, Disputation 30, ‘On the Calling of People to Salvation’, pp. 217-19
“Therefore they are idle dreamers who extend God’s gracious calling to each and every human being [such as Arminians]. For they mix up God’s love towards humanity (whereby God embraces all people as his own creatures) with the love whereby He has ordained to take into his grace a select number of people from the common crowd of sinners who are perishing for their own wickedness, and to guide them in Jesus Christ, the Son in whom He delights.”
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Samuel Rutherford
Christ Dying & Drawing Sinners (1647), p. 476 ff. (some copies, p. 440 ff., due to faulty numbering)
“We are hence taught to acknowledge no love to be in God, which is not effectual in doing good to the creature; there is no lip-love, no raw well-wishing to the creature which God does not make good: we know but three sorts of love, that God has to the creature, all the three are like the fruitful womb; there is no miscarrying, no barrenness in the womb of divine love;
1. He loves all that He has made; so far as to give them a being, to conserve them in being so long as he pleases: He had a desire to have Sun, Moon, Stars, Earth, Heaven, Sea, Cloud, Air; He created them out of the womb of love, and out of goodness, and keeps them in being…
2. There is a second love and mercy, in God, by which he loves all Men and Angels; yea, even his enemies, makes the Sun to shine on the unjust man, as well as the just, and causes dew and rain to fall on the orchard and fields of the bloody and deceitful man, whom the Lord abhors; as Christ teaches us, (Matt. 5:43-48). Nor does God miscarry in this love, He desires the eternal being of damned angels and men; He sends the Gospel to many reprobates, and invites them to repentance and with longanimity and forbearance suffers pieces of froward dust to fill the measure of their iniquity, yet does not the Lord’s general love fall short of what He willeth to them.
3. There is a love of special election to glory; far less can God come short in the end of this love…”
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The Covenant of Life Opened (1655)
“It’s a state of common grace to be within the visible church… The same blessings of Abraham come on us Gentiles. But he and all his seed were blessed and in grace by the external call of the covenant… And this external calling is of grace and so grace, no merit, as well as predestination to life is grace, or for grace. For whosoever are called [externally], not because they are elect, but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called… they are in a state of grace. But so are all within the visible church… And external covenanting with God is of itself free grace and a singular favor bestowed of God.“
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Hugh Binning
Christian Love (Banner of Truth, 2004), p. 6
‘God hath a general love to all the creatures.’
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William Twisse
The Doctrine of the Synod of Dort & Arles (1651), p. 52
“And accordingly we distinguish of the effects of God’s love in respect whereof He is said to love his creature. For they may be considered either in respect of life temporal, or of life spiritual, or of life eternal. The first effects of love, as touching life temporal, God communicates to all that have life; thus He is said to save both man and beast, and the eyes of all are said to wait upon Him; He hears the cry of ravens; the sparrows fall not to the ground without the providence divine; The very lions roaring after their prey, do seek their meat at [from] God.
Thus He may be said to be as the Savior, so the lover of all men; but especially of them that believe, to wit, both in respect of the comforts of life spiritual, and the joys of life eternal which He affords unto them…”
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Anthony Burgess
Spiritual Refining: or A Treatise of Grace & Assurance, pt. 1 (1652; Ames, Iowa: 1990), Sermon 66, “Showing that the Damnation of Wicked Men is unpleasing to God, and that which He delights not in”, pp. 403-8
“Now the means God has appointed for a man’s recovery are diverse:
First, There are means by way of love and goodness: There are also means by way of chastisements and afflictions
By way of Love; How winning and overcoming should that be? Love does surround you; it’s love that you live, that you breath; its love, you are preserved from hell and damnation; its love, that you have any support at all; therefore the goodness of God in all the creatures you enjoy, should lead you to repentance, Rom. 2[:4]. The sun that shines to you, the earth that brings forth fruit for you, the health and perfection of the senses, should melt you always into good.”
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Thomas Vincent 1669
The Conversion of a Sinner, Explained & Applied, a sermon on Eze. 33:11, 1669, in The Puritans on Conversion (Soli Deo Gloria, 1990), pp. 105-7
“5. God calls upon sinners to turn to Him by the internal voice and motions of His Spirit…
There is a twofold call of the Spirit: more common and more special.
1. More common, and so many are called which never are thoroughly converted. It was the common work of the Spirit which made Felix tremble, which brought Agrippa within a step of Christianity and caused Herod to do many things. Multitudes of unregenerate ones have felt the waters stirred, the Holy Ghost moving them to conversion, and have readily proffered His aid and assistance, and perhaps, for awhile, they have been led by Him. But then they have refused to let go of some lust or vanity which He has bid them abandon. They would not turn their spiritual sloth into serious diligence about the concerns of their immortal souls, and so by disregarding His motions, and by slighting His help, they have made the Spirit to go away in grief who came in love to work upon them.
2. There is a call of the Spirit which is more special and efficacious…”
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Edward Pearse
The Great Concern, or A Serious Warning to a Timely & Thorough Preparation for Death (London: J. Robinson, 1674), pp. 73–75
“4. A change from the offers of Grace, to the revelations of wrath: Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction (says the Psalmist) in Psalm 88:11…
There is never an offer of grace and love made to souls in the grave; while life lasts, the soul hears the joyful sound: And O the sweet offers, the gracious tenders, the loving invitations, that are made to him of Christ, of Grace, of Eternal Life and Love! O the wooings, the meltings, the entreatings, the allurings of Divine Love to and over the soul! but when death comes, farewell all these, farewell all the sweet offers of Christ, and all the blessed motions of the Spirit; then there’s nothing but wrath revealed, and wrath shall come on the neglecting soul to the uttermost.”
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Joseph Hall
Contemplations on the Historical Passages of the Old & New Testaments (d. 1656; Old Paths Gospel Press), vol. 1, p. 261
“There is no earthly proof of God’s love to any nation, comparable to the substitution of a wise and pious governor…”
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James Durham
Commentary on the Song of Solomon, on Song 5:2
“8. When Christ knocks and presses hardest, it’s for our own good, and it’s a token of love in Him to do so; for, there is nothing more deplorable, than when He says to one under indisposition, and in an evil case, ‘Let him alone.’
…
10. Christ may call very pressingly, and his Word may have some work on the conscience and affections of hearers, and they be some-way affected with it, and yet the Word be rejected, and the heart not made open to Christ; as here she sleeps still notwithstanding; and the following verse confirms it.
11. There are some operations of the Spirit, which though they be more than a common work on the generality of hearers, yet are not saving, and may be, and often are, even by believers frustrated for a time, and by others for ever; for, this knocking gets a refusal, verse 3. So deceiving, beguiling and dangerous are common motions to rest on, when the finger of gracious Omnipotency is not applied, as verse 4.”
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John Ley
The English Annotations 3rd ed. (1658), on Mk. 10:21, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest…”
“Loved him. [in Greek] Egapon autou, loved, kissed, or cheerfully and in a friendly manner received him, as truly pitying him who having with so much care outwardly kept the law of God, which many did not; yet did but deceive himself with a vain opinion of righteousness, as if he were perfect, or near thereto; when yet without faith in Christ, he could not possibly be saved.”
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John Trapp
Commentary on the Bible, 2 Peter 1:7
“And to brotherly kindness, &c. Love we must all men, but especially the family of faith; as our Saviour loved the young man, but not so as he did Lazarus, Mark 10:21; John 11:3.”
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John Bunyan
Light for Them That Sit in Darkness, in The Works of John Bunyan (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1977), 1:432
“Mercy and love are seen, in that God gives us rain and fruitful seasons, and in that he fills our hearts with food and gladness; from that bounty which he bestows upon us as men, as his creatures.”
Reprobation Asserted, ch. 4, ‘Of the Causes of Reprobation’
“Thirdly, another cause of eternal reprobation is the act and working of distinguishing love, and everlasting grace: God has universal love, and particular love; general love, and distinguishing love; and so accordingly does decree, purpose, and determine: from general love, the extension of general grace and mercy; but from that love that is distinguishing, peculiar grace and mercy: Was not Esau Jacob’s Brother? Yet I loved Jacob, says the Lord, that is, with a better love, or a love that is more distinguishing: As he further makes appear in his answer to our Father Abraham, when he prayed to God for Ishmael: As for Ishmael, says He, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will also make him fruitful: but my Covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee. Touching which words, there are these things observable: Mal. 1:2; Gen. 17:18,19, etc.
1. That God had better Love for Isaac, than he had for his Brother Ishmael. Yet,
2. Not because Isaac had done more worthy and goodly deeds, for Isaac was yet unborn.
3. This choice Blessing could not be denied to Ishmael because he had disinherited himself by sin; for this Blessing was entailed to Isaac, before Ishmael had a being also. Rom. 4:16-19; Gen. 15:4-5; Gen. 16.
4. These things therefore must needs fall out through the working of distinguishing love and mercy, which had so cast the business, that the purpose of God according to Election might stand.
Further, Should not God decree to show distinguishing love and mercy, as well as that which is general and common, He must not discover his best love at all to the sons of men. Again, if He should reveal and extend his best love to all the World in general, then there would not be such a thing as Love that does distinguish; for distinguishing love appears in separating between Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, the many called, and the few chosen. Thus by virtue of distinguishing love, some must be reprobate: For distinguishing love must leave some, both of the angels in Heaven, and the inhabitants of the Earth; wherefore the decree also that does establish it, must needs leave some.”
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Thomas Manton
Works, vol. 16, p. 457 on Mk. 10:21-23, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him… And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved.”
“[1] If you interpret it of his divine love, the difficulty will not be great; for there is a general and common love, and a special love.
With the first, God loves all his creatures, especially mankind, and amongst them those that have any strictures of his image in them more than others.
But then there is a special love, and so all those are saved whom God thus loves….
Now this will easily solve the matter; there was a general love, or a liking and approbation of those moral virtues and good things which He saw in him [the rich young ruler], but not that special love which brings grace and salvation along with it.”
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Francis Turretin
Institutes of Elenctic Theology,
vol. 1, 17th Question, VII, pp. 396-97
“VII. (2) The question [at hand to be discussed] is not whether God is born by a general love and philanthropy (philanthropia) towards men as his creatures, and also bestows upon them various temporal benefits pertaining to the things of this life (ta biotika). We do not deny that God has never left Himself without witness (amartyron) with regard to this (Acts 14:17). And we readily grant that there is no one who does not owe some gratitude to God and who, whatever he is or can do, is not bound to give thanks to his Creator. But the question concerns the special and saving love which tends to spiritual benefits, and by which God willed to have mercy upon them to salvation. We think this is particular to the elect alone, not universal and common to all.”
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vol. 2, p. 588
“II… On the contrary, the latter [temporary faith] depends upon common grace which bestows even on the reprobate certain blessings: not only external and temporal, but also spiritual and initial gifts (although not saving) as a testification of a certain general love and to increase their guilt on the supposition of their contumacy.”
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John Collinges
in Matthew Poole’s English Annotations on the Holy Bible
“As your heavenly Father has a common love, which he extends to all mankind, in supplying their necessities, with the light and warmth of the sun, and with the rain; as well as a special love and favor, which He exercises only toward those that are good, and members of Christ; so ought you to have: though you are not obliged to take your enemies into your bosom, yet you ought to love them in their order. And as your heavenly Father, though he will one day have a satisfaction from sinners, for the wrong done to his majesty, unless they repent; yet, to heap coals of fire on their heads, gives them good things of common providence, that he might not leave them without witness, yea, and affords them the outward means of grace for their souls: so, although you are bound to seek some satisfaction for God’s honor and glory from flagitious sinners, and though you may in an orderly course seek a moderate satisfaction for the wrong done to yourselves, yet you ought to love them with a love consistent with these things; that so you may imitate your heavenly Father, and approve yourselves to be his children.”
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1700’s
William Tong
in Matthew Henry’s Commentary, on Rev. 3:19
“5. Here is added great and gracious encouragement to this sinful [unconverted, as is made clear by the larger context] people to take the admonition and advice well that Christ had given them, v. 19, v. 20. He tells them,
(1.) It was given them in true and tender affection: “Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten. You may think I have given you hard words and severe reproofs; it is all out of love to your souls. I would not have thus openly rebuked and corrected your sinful lukewarmness and vain confidence, if I had not been a lover of your souls; had I hated you, I would have let you alone, to go on in sin till it had been your ruin.’’ Sinners ought to take the rebukes of God’s word and rod as tokens of his good-will to their souls, and should accordingly repent in good earnest, and turn to him that smites them; better are the frowns and wounds of a friend than the flattering smiles of an enemy.”
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Ebenezer Erskine
‘God in Christ, A God of Love’, a sermon on 1 John 4:16, in The Whole Works of the late Rev. Ebenezer Erskine, vol. 1, pp. 280-81
“First, I say, let us view the love of a God of love, in the different kinds of it.
…
2, He has a love, not only of benevolence, but of beneficence; He not only wishes you well, but does well unto you. O Sirs! many a good turn has He done you, particularly you who are members of the visible church; He gives you line upon line, precept upon precept; He makes you to hear the joyful sound, the voice of the turtle; many a minister has He sent you; many an offer of Christ, and of life through Him, has He made to you; many a time has He knocked at thy door, by word, by conscience, and the motions and whispers of his Spirit; so that He may say to us, as He did of his vineyard, Isa. 5:4, “What could have been done more for them, that I have not done?” And because of your obstinacy in unbelief and sin, He may challenge you as he did Israel, and say, Micah 6:3, “O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. Was I ever a barren wilderness, or a land of darkness?” Thus, I say, God’s love of benevolence and beneficence is, in some respects, extended unto all.”
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Bernard de Moor & Augustine
Continuous Commentary, ch. 4, 41. ‘God’s Love of Benevolence & Complacency’
“To this the saying of Augustine has regard, tractate 110 on John, chapter 6, opera, tome 3, part 2, column 567, “God hates nothing of those things which He has made. Therefore, since He hates nothing that He has made, who can worthily express, how much He loves the members of His Only-begotten: and how much more the Only-begotten Himself, in whom are hid all things visible and invisible?”
But a Voluntary Love, which extends unto the creatures: All creatures, Psalm 36:5, 6; and rational creatures, men, Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17; and especially elect Men, John 3:16; etc.: hence a threefold degree of the divine love is established with respect to effects, φιλοκτισία / creature-love, φιλανθρωπία / philanthropy, ἐκλεκτοφιλία, love of the elect.”
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1800’s
Robert Candlish
An Inquiry into the Completeness & Extent of the Atonement, with Especial Reference to the Universal Offer of the Gospel & the Universal Obligation to Believe (1845), pp. 4-6
“It may be observed, in passing, that there is a double sense in which we may speak of Christ’s purchase;
First, Strictly and properly, when we regard Him as purchasing men; and secondly, More improperly, when we consider Him as purchasing benefits for men.
This last view [the second], as we have hinted, is rather figurative and metaphorical than real and literal; for the idea of his purchasing benefits from the Father for mankind, must ever be understood in consistency with the Father’s sovereignty, and his pre-existing love to the children of men. The Father is not induced or persuaded to bestow benefits on men by a price paid to Him; but being antecedently full of compassion to all…”
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William Shedd
Intro
Shedd below is commenting on WCF 2.1:
“There is but one only living and true God, who is… most loving, gracious, merciful, long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”
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Calvinism: Pure & Mixed (1893)
pp. 24-25
“Of whom speaks the Confession this? Of the God of the elect only? Or of the God of every man? Is He the God of the elect only? Is He not also of the non-elect? Is this description of the gracious nature and attributes of God intended to be restricted to a part of mankind? Is not God as thus delineated the Creator and Father of every man without exception? Can it be supposed that the authors of this statement meant to be understood to say that God is not such a being for all men, but only for some? If this section does not teach the unlimited love and compassion of God towards all men as men, as his creatures, it teaches nothing.”
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“With what show of reason can it be said that a symbol [creed] containing such declarations as these respecting the nature and attributes of God, his requirement that every man confess sin to Him, repent of it, pray for its forgiveness and trust in his mercy, contains no announcement of his infinite love and compassion [to all men]?”
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1900’s
Louis Berkhof
Systematic Theology, Part I, ch. 7, On the Communicable Attributes of God, C. Moral Attributes, 1. The Goodness of God, b. The Love of God
“When the goodness of God is exercised towards His rational creatures, it assumes the higher character of love, and this love may again be distinguished according to the objects on which it terminates. In distinction from the goodness of God in general, it may be defined as that perfection of God by which He is eternally moved to self–communication. Since God is absolutely good in Himself, His love cannot find complete satisfaction in any object that falls short of absolute perfection. He loves His rational creatures for His own sake, or, to express it otherwise, He loves in them Himself, His virtues, His work, and His gifts.
He does not even withdraw His love completely from the sinner in his present sinful state, though the latter’s sin is an abomination to Him, since He recognizes even in the sinner His image-bearer. John 3:16; Matt. 5:44,45. At the same time He loves believers with a special love, since He contemplates them as His spiritual children in Christ. It is to them that He communicates Himself in the fullest and richest sense, with all the fulness of His grace and mercy. John 16:27; Rom. 5:8; I John 3:1.”
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Richard Muller
Dictionary of Latin & Greek Theological Terms (1985), p. 31-32
“amor Dei, ‘the love of God’
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“Considered as a divine attribute, the amor Dei can be defined as the propensity of the divine essence or nature for the good, both in the sense of God’s inward, intrinsic, benevolentia, or willing of the good, and in the sense of God’s external, extrinsic, beneficentia, or kindness, toward his creatures.
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Externally or extrinsically, the amor Dei is directed toward all things, but according to a threefold distinction.
[1] The amor Dei universalis encompasses all things and is manifest in the creation itself, in the conservation and governance of the world;
[2] the amor Dei communis is directed toward all human beings, both elect and reprobate, and is manifest in the blessings, or benefits (beneficia), of God;
[3] and the amor Dei proprius, or specialis, is directed toward the elect or believers only and is manifest in the gift of salvation.
The amor Dei universalis is frequently called by the scholastics complacentia, or general good-pleasure; the amor Dei communis is understood to be benevolentia in the strict sense of goodwill toward human beings; and amor Dei specialis, is termed amicitia, i.e. friendship or sympathy toward believers.
In the discussion of the divine attributes, the amor Dei is considered both as an ultimate essential characteristic of God determinative of the other attributes and as one of the affections of the divine will. In the former sense, resting on the scriptural predication, “God is Love” (1 John 4:8), the scholastics can subsume the grace (gratia), mercy (misericordia), long-suffering (long animitas), patience (patientia), and clemency or mildness (clementia) of God under the amor Dei. In the latter sense, the amor Dei together with these related attributes is viewed as an aspect of the divine willing and is juxtaposed with the wrath (ira) and hate (odium) of God against sin.”
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Erroll Hulse
“The Example of the English Puritans” (Reformation Today 153, Sept/Oct 1996)
“As we see from the Westminster Confession and the 1689 Baptist Confession the Puritans… followed Calvin in resisting false human rationalisations. For instance they resisted the idea that God only loves the elect and hates the non-elect. This error is called hyper-Calvinism. It is a very serious error which is recurring today. The Puritans… believed in the universal love of God for all mankind (1 Tim 2:1-6; 2 Peter 3:9).”
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D.A. Carson
The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway, 2000), pp. 23, 75, as quoted by Ian Murray, The Cross: the Pulpit of God’s Love (n.d.), p. 20
“We must not view these ways of talking about the love of God as independent, compartmentalized, loves of God… as if each were hermetically sealed off from the other… If you absolutize any one of these ways in which the Bible speaks of the love of God, you will generate a false system that squeezes out other important things the Bible says, thus finally distorting your vision of God.”
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“To Him which led his people [elect and reprobate] through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Ps. 136:16
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away…”
Heb. 6:4-6
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