Then I briefly considered God’s mercy.
Proposal 1. In all scriptures, God is represented as infinitely graceful and merciful (Exodus 34. 6; Nehemiah 9. 17; Psalm 103. 8; 1 Peter 1. 3).
- When we say that divine mercy is infinite.
- We do not mean that it extends gracefully to all men without exception (and assuming it is.
- It would nevertheless be called very incorrectly infinite.
- Since its objects.
- Even if they were all men together.
- Would not amount to a strict and truly infinite crowd).
- But their mercy to their elegies.
- Since he knows no principle.
- Is of infinite duration.
- And you will know neither period nor interval.
Proposal 2. La mercy is not in God, as is in us, passion or affection, being incompatible with the purity, perfection, independence and immutability of its nature; But when this attribute is relative to God, it simply indicates his free and eternal will or purpose to bless a part of the fallen race, freeing them from the guilt and dominion of sin and communicating with them in a manner consistent with their own inviolable. justice, truth and holiness. This seems to be the correct definition of mercy, which refers to the spiritual and eternal good of those who are his objects.
Proposal 3. But it should be noted that God’s mercy, in the broadest and most indefinite sense, can be regarded (1) as general and (2) as special His general mercy is nothing more than what we commonly call His grace, because it is, in a way, providentially good for all mankind, both for the chosen and the unelected (Matthew 5. 45; Luke 6. 35; Acts 14. 17, 17. 25, 28). By his special mercy, he, as Lord of all, has, in the spiritual sense, compassion for all the fallen race which is the object of his free and eternal favor; the effects of this special mercy are his redemption and justification for Christ’s Atonement, the real call, the regeneration and sanctification by his Spirit, his infallible and definitive preservation in a state of grace on earth, and his eternal glorification in heaven.
Proposition 4: There is no contradiction, real or apparent, between these two statements: (1) that the blessings of grace and glory are typical of those whom God set aside in his decree of predestination, and (2) that the message of the gospel is proclaimed, so that whoever desires it may freely take from the water of life (Revelation 22:17). First, no one can desire or desire spiritually and unpretentiously to partake of these privileges, except those whom God has previously made want. and desire; and secondly, it does not grant this will and excites that desire in anyone but its own elected officials.
Proposal 5. Since ungodly men, totally and definitively devoid of divine grace, cannot know what this mercy is, nor have adequate apprehension, let alone embrace and trust in it by faith; and because the daily experience and the scriptures of truth teach us that God does not open the eyes of the reproaches by opening the eyes of his eldaughters, nor enlighten their understandings in salvation, it follows, of course, that His mercy has never been, of the beginning, for them, and will not be applied to them; but, both in designation and in application, it is unique and special only for those who are predestined to life, as it is written: “The chosen succeeded, and the others hardened?(Romans 11:7).
Proposition 6: All the work of salvation, as well as everything that is related or related to it, is sometimes in Scripture, understood under the term mercy alone, to show that pure love and grace were the great reason why that the elect are saved. , and that all their merits, dignity, and good qualifications have been totally excluded from any influence on the divine will by which they should be chosen, redeemed, and glorified in place of others. When we say: “Do we pity those who love them?” (Romans 9), it is as if the apostle said: “Has God chosen, redeemed, justified, regenerated, sanctified and glorified those who pleased him? Each of these great privileges is briefly summarized and actually included in the umbrella term “. ?.
Proposition 7 Therefore, whatever favours we are granted, whatever is good in us or what we do, whether by will, word or action, and any other blessing we receive from God, from choice to glorification, all proceed, simply and completely. , of the will of his will and mercy to us in Christ Jesus. Praise is therefore due to those who make the difference between man and man to have compassion for one and not others.
To celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Return to the Gospel will present weekly articles and biographies of several reformers: Girolamo Zachi (January), Theodore Beza (February), Thomas Cranmer (March), Guilherme Farrel (April), William Tyndale (May), Martin Bucer (June), John Knox (July), Ulrico Zuonglio (there), Joo Calvino (set)