1623 – 1687
Selections
On God Acting Seriously in the Calling of Reprobates, being Volume 2, Topic 15, Question 2, Paragraphs 14-16 & 21 of his Institutes
On ‘God can be said to will men to be saved who yet are not saved’ by his Revealed Will, being Volume 1, Topic 4, Question 17, Paragraphs 21 & 38 of his Institutes
On 2 Peter 3:9, God is Not Willing that Any Should Perish, being Volume 1, Topic 4, Question 17, Paragraph 39 of his Institutes
On 1 Tim. 2:4, God Will Have All Men to be Saved, being Volume 1, Topic 4, Question 17, Paragraph 34 of his Institutes
God may be said to Will the Salvation of All
Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Vol. 1, Third Topic: The One and Triune God; Question 15, ‘May the will be properly distinguished into the will of decree and of precept, good purpose and pleasure, signified, secret and revealed? We affirm.’ p. 224
XIX. Although God may be said to will the salvation of all by the will of sign [the revealed will] and to nill it by the beneplacit will [of decree], yet there is no contradiction here. Besides the fact that the universal proposition is to be understood not so much of the singulars of the genera as of the genera of the singulars, the former will relates to the mere approbation of God and the command of duty, while the latter is concerned with its futurition and fulfillment. The former denotes what is pleasing to God and what He has determined to enjoin upon man for the obtainment of salvation, but the latter what God Himself has decreed to do. But these two are not at variance: to will (i.e., to command man to believe) and to nill (i.e., to decree not to give him faith in order that he may believe).
The Will of Sign Corresponds to some Internal Will in God, a Disposition
Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Vol. 1, Third Topic: The One and Triune God; Question 15, ‘May the will be properly distinguished into the will of decree and of precept, good purpose and pleasure, signified, secret and revealed? We affirm.’ p. 224
XX. The will of sign [the revealed will] which is set forth as extrinsic ought to correspond with some internal will in God that it may not be false and deceptive; but that internal will is not the decree concerning the gift of salvation to this or that one, but the decree concerning the command of faith and promise of salvation if the man does believe (which is founded both upon the connection established by God between faith and salvation and the internal disposition of God by which, as He loves Himself, He cannot but love his image wherever He sees it shining and is so much pleased with the faith and repentance of the creature as to grant it salvation).
God Wills to Unite Himself with the Creature
Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Vol. 1, Topic 3, Question 20, ‘The Goodness, Love, Grace, and Mercy of God; How do they differ from each other?’ p. 241. HT: Andrew Myers
IV. From goodness flows love by which he communicates Himself to the creature and (as it were) wills to unite Himself with and do good to it, but in diverse ways and degrees according to the diversity of the objects. Hence is usually made a threefold distinction in the divine love:
the first, that by which He follows creatures, called “love of the creature” (philoktisia);
the second, that by which He embraces men, called “love of man” (philoanthropia);
the third, which is specially exercised towards the elect and is called “the love of the elect” (eklektophilia).
For in proportion as the creature is more perfect and more excellent, so also does it share in a greater effluence and outpouring (aporroen) of divine love. Hence although love considered affectively and on the part of the internal act is equal in God (because it does not admit of increase or diminution), yet regarded effectively (or on the part of the good which He wills to anyone) it is unequal because some effects of love are greater than others.
Related Pages
The Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel
Historic Reformed Quotes on the Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel
1600’s – Puritan Quotes on the Sincere Free Offer of the Gospel