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39 Bible Doctrine – The Key To Unlocking John Gill’s ‘Body Of Divinity’
I would like to welcome you back to another study in Bible Doctrine. In our previous studies, I have introduced the life, legacy and writings of John Gill. Out of the twenty-five works highlighted, there are four which I have recommended every Christian should own and read: 1. “The Cause of God and Truth” (1735-38) 2. “An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments” (1746-48; 1763-66) 3. “Goat Yard Declaration of Faith” (1729) 4. “A Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity” (1769-70) Having given some background, explanations and samples of the first three works, I now come to the last—A Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity. Another term for ‘body’ is system, and another term for ‘divinity’ is theology. Henceforth, this is John Gill’s System…
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The Key To Unlocking John Gill’s “Body Of Doctrinal And Practical Divinity”
John Gill understood the Sublapsarian view on the logical order of God's decree to fit within the Supralapsarian view, thereby subscribing to both positions. This scheme of teaching is diagramed in the "Framework of Sovereign Grace", which serves as the key to unlocking Gill's "Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity" (Systematic Theology). Although Gill himself never diagramed his framework of teachings, it was a method used by William Perkins (a Supralapsarian) and by John Bunyan (a Sublapsarian) during the 16th and 17th centuries. The "Framework of Sovereign Grace" is a diagram drawn up by Jared Smith in 2012, incidentally but conveniently aligned with the teachings of John Gill.
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54 Sublapsarians
SUBLAPSARIANS Those who hold that God permitted the first man to fall into transgression without absolutely predetermining his fall; or that the decree of predestination regards man as fallen, by an abuse of that freedom which Adam had, into a state in which all were to be left to necessary and unavoidable ruin, who were not exempted from it by predestination.
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53 Supralapsarians
SUPRALAPSARIANS Persons who hold that God, without any regard to the good or evil works of men, has resolved, by an eternal decree, supra lapsum, antecedently to any knowledge of the fall of Adam, and independently of it, to save some and reject others: or, in other words, that God intended to glorify his justice in the condemnation of some, as well as his mercy in the salvation of others; and, for that purpose, decreed that Adam, should necessarily fall. Dr. Gill gives us the following account of Supralapsarianism.--The question which he proposes to discuss, is, "Whether men were considered in the mind of God in the decree of election as fallen or unfallen, as in the corrupt mass through the fall, or in the…
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52 Reprobation
REPROBATION The act of abandoning, or state of being abandoned, to eternal destruction, and is applied to that decree or resolve which God has taken from all eternity to punish sinners who shall die in impenitence; in which sense it is opposed to election.
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51 Election
ELECTION This word has different meanings. 1. It signifies God's taking a whole nation, community, or body of men, into external covenant with himself, by giving them the advantage of revelation as the rule of their belief and practice, when other nations are without it, Deut. 7:6.—2. A temporary designation of some person or station in the visible church, or office in civil life, John 6:70. 1 Sam.10:24.--3. That gracious and almighty act of the Divine Spirit, whereby God actually and visibly separates his people from the world by effectual calling, John 15:19.--4. That eternal, sovereign, unconditional, particular, and immutable act of God, whereby he selected some from among all mankind, and of every nation under heaven, to be redeemed and everlastingly saved by Christ,…
