Vos:

1) 94. What is God’s goodness and what is it sometimes called?

It is His love toward personal and sentient creatures in general and can also be called Amor Dei generalis, “God’s general love.” Geerhardus Vos, Reformed Dogmatics, tran. Richard B. Gaffin (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014), 29.

2) The love of this gracious fatherhood is infinitely richer than that pertaining to the three other spheres previously mentioned. It would be wrong, of course, to keep them mechanically separated. For those who are to be received into the inner sanctuary the privileges of the court serve as a preparation. But whatever there is of organic adjustment between the sphere of nature and of the kingdom, between that of common and of special grace, between the love of compassion and the love of adoption, cannot justify us in identifying the one with the other. In our Lord’s teaching this is never done.6 So far as the actual manifestation of the love of God in human consciousness is concerned, a fundamental difference lies in this, that the enjoyment of the common love of God outside of the kingdom does not exempt man from being subject at the same time to the divine wrath on account of sin. Love and wrath here are not mutually exclusive. Within the circle of redemption, on the other hand, the enjoyment of the paternal love of God means absolute forgiveness and deliverance from all wrath. Even this, however, is not sufficient clearly to mark the distinction between these two kinds of love, the wider and the narrower. For, previously to the moment of believing, those who are appointed for salvation, no less than the others, are subject in their consciousness to the experience of the wrath of God. It would seem, therefore, that in his pre-Christian state the one who will later become a child of God is not differentiated from the one who never will, inasmuch as both are in an equal sense the objects of the general benevolence of God and of His wrath in their experience. Thus a representation would result as if the line of God’s general love ran singly up to the point of conversion, there to pass over into the line of His special love. The general love of God, as a common possession of all men, would then be the only factor to be reckoned with outside of the sphere of the kingdom; and a special love of God could be spoken of only with reference to those who have actually become His children. And on this standpoint the temptation would always be strong to view the special love as conditioned by the spiritual character of man, since it does not apply to any except the regenerate. In order to clear the subject thoroughly, therefore, we must note the further fact that, according to our Lord’s teaching, even before the divine wrath is lifted off the sinner at the moment of his believing, there exists alongside of the general benevolence which embraces all mankind a special affection in the heart of God for certain individuals, who are destined to become subsequently His children, and who are in their subjective consciousness as yet the objects of His wrath. Already during the pre-Christian state of the elect there are two lines, that of general and special love, running parallel in God’s disposition toward them. It is not the special love itself which originates at the moment of conversion, but only the subjective realization and enjoyment of it on the part of the sinner. The fourth Gospel, in which so many at present profess to find an indiscriminate universalism of the redemptive love of God, is the most emphatic on this point of all the New Testament writings, Paul alone excepted. Not merely is sovereign election taught here in unequivocal terms: it is also brought into organic connection with the love of God. Those who are appointed unto life are children and sheep of the fold antecedently to their acceptance of the gospel. They belong to the Father in a special sense, and in virtue of this ownership are given by Him to the Son. Because this special relation between the Father and them exists, the Son, who is in His whole appearance and activity the exact reproduction of the Father, chooses them out of the world, and makes them the objects of that High-priestly intercession from which the world is on principle excluded. Believers know that they love God, because He loved them first. And, what is strongest of all, in a context where the Savior dwells upon the Father’s love, which was His before the foundation of the world, He identifies the disciples with Himself even in this unique possession: “In order that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (17:23).

Geehardus Vos, “The Scriptural Doctrine of the Love of God,” The Presbyterian and Reformed Review 13 (1902) : 24-26.

Aquinas (by way of Kimedoncius):

Hereupon Thomas in 1 Tim. 2. says: “Christ is the propitiation for our sins: for some effectually, for but for all sufficiently, because of the price of his blood is sufficient to save all, but it has not effect but in the elect, because of an impediment.”  And more clearly upon 5. Apoc. he says: “We speak of the Lord’s passion two manner of ways. Either according to the sufficiency, and so his passion redeemed all: for it is sufficient to redeem and save all, although there were even more worlds, as Anselm says, lib. 2. Cur Deus &c., homo. cap. 14. Or according to efficiency and so not all are redeemed by his passion, because all cleave not to the redeemer, and therefore not all have the efficacy of redemption.” The same man says: “The merit of Christ as touching the sufficiency is alike to all, but not as touching the efficiency: which happens partly through freewill, partly through God’s election, by which the effect of Christ’s merit is bestowed upon some mercy, but it is withdrawn fro others by the just judgment of God [Idem summa de veritate materia 26. quest. 7.].

Against the Gentiles, lib. 4. cap. 55, he alleges this cause of the foresaid distinction between sufficiency and efficiency. “The death of Christ” (says he), “is as a certain universal cause of salvation, as the sin of the first man was as it were the universal cause of damnation. But the universal cause must be applied to everyone particularly, that he may receive the effect of the universal cause. The effect of the sin of our first parents comes to everyone by our fleshly birth. But the effect of death of Christ comes to everyone by spiritual regeneration, whereby man is after a sort joined unto Christ, and incorporated unto him.” Other testimonies of this author we have before alleged.

Source: Iacob Kimedoncius, Of The Redemption of Mankind (London: Imprinted by Felix Kingston for Hvmfrey Lownes, 1598), 235.    [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; marginal comments cited inline.]

Kimedoncius:

I will not
the death of
a Sinner

Some understand the place of the Prophet Ezekiel of that death of the soul, as Fulgentius: others refer it to the punishment of sin, using the distinction of the will of God, hidden and revealed.  So Luther de ser, arbit. cap. 109. ‘He will not the death of a sinner, to wit, by his word, while his word of salvation he comes to all, and so he will have all men to be saved. But he wills the same by his unsearchable will, “Which will” (says he in the same book chap. 107) “is not to be searched into, but with reverence to be adored, as the highest secret of God’s majesty.” Again, “He will not the death of him that dies simply, and as it brings destruction, but as it is punishment: for the Lord delights not in he perdition of the thing, as it is, “But he is the punisher of sinners,” [Wisd. 1.13.].

Iacob Kimedoncius, Of The Redemption of Mankind (London: Imprinted by Felix Kingston for Hvmfrey Lownes, 1598), 335.    [Some reformatting; some spelling modernized; marginal comments cited inline.]

Binning:

1) Now, the Lord Jesus having redeemed lost man, and repaired his ruins, he makes up this breach, especially restores this fundamental ordinance of our creation, and unites men again to God and to one another. Therefore he is our peace, he hath removed the seeds of discord between God and man, and between man and man. And this is the subject of that divine epistle which the beloved apostle, full of that divine love, did pen, ‘God is love, and in this was the love of God manifested, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world. And he that loves is born of God, and knows God ; but we love God, because he loved us first, and if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another,’ 1 John iv. This is the very substance of the gospel, a doctrine of God’s love to man, and of man’s love due to God, and to them who are begotten of God ; the one declared, the other commanded. So that much of the gospel is but a new edition or publication of that old ancient fundamental law of creation. This is that paradox which John delivers, ‘ I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning: again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines,’ 1 John ii. 7, 8. It is no new commandment, but that primitive command of love to God and men, which is the fulfilling of the law; and yet new it is, because there is a new obligation superadded. The bond of creation was great, but the tie of redemption is greater. God gave a being to man, that is enough. But God to become a miserable man for man, that is infinitely more. Fellow-creatures, that is sufficient for a bond of amity. But to be once fellow-captives, companions in misery, and then companions in mercy and blessedness, that is a new and stronger bond. Mutual love was the badge of reasonable creatures in innocency. But now Jesus Christ hath put a new stamp and signification on it; and made it the very differential character and token of his disciples, ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.’ And therefore, when he is making his latter will, he gives this testamentary commandment to his children and heirs, ‘A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ New indeed! For though it be the same command, yet there was never such a motive, inducement, and persuasive to it as this. God so loved that he gave me, and I so loved that I gave myself, that is an addition more than all that was before, John xiii. 34, 35.

There is a special stamp of excellency put on this affection of love, that God delights to exhibit himself to us in such a notion. ‘God is love,’ and so holds out himself as the pattern of this. ‘Be ye followers of God as dear children, and walk in love,’ Eph. v. 1, 2. This is the great virtue and property which we should imitate our Father in. As God hath a general love to all the creatures, from whence the river of his goodness flows out through the earth, and in that, is like the sun conveying his light and benign influence, without partiality or restraint, to the whole world, but his special favor runs in a more narrow channel towards these whom he hath chosen in Christ; so in this a Christian should be like his Father, and there is nothing in which he resembles him more than in this, to walk in love towards all men, even our enemies. For in this he gives us a pattern, Matt. v. 44, 45. ‘But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.’ To do good to all, and to be ready to forgive all, is the glory of God; and certainly it is the glory of a child of God to be merciful as his Father is merciful, and good to all, and kind to the unthankful. And this is to be perfect as he is perfect. This perfection is charity and love to all. But the particular and special current of affection will run toward the household of faith, those who are of the same descent, and family, and love. This drawn into such a compass, is the badge and livery of his disciples. These two in a Christian are nothing but the reflex of the love of God, and streams issuing out from it. A Christian walking in love to all, blessing his enemies, praying for them, not reviling or cursing again, but blessing for cursing, and praying for reviling, forgiving all, and ready to give to the necessities of all, and more especially, uniting the force of his love and delight, to bestow it upon these who are the excellent ones, and delight of God, such a one is his Father’s picture, so to speak. He is partaker of that divine nature, and royal spirit of love. Gal. vi. 10. ‘As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.’ 1 Thess. iii. 12, 13. ‘ And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men, even as we do towards you: to the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, with all his saints.’ Hugh Binning, “A Treatise on Christian Love,” in The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning, 3^rd edition, (Edinburgh: A Fullarton and Co., 1851), 524-525. [Pagination the same as in the Soli Deo Gloria edition; some spelling modernized; and underlining mine.]

2) 1. THEN, it might endear this Christian virtue unto us, that God propones himself as the pattern of it, that Christ holds out himself as the rare example of it for our imitation. It is what doth most endear God to creatures, and certainly it must likewise appreciate them one to another. 1 John iv. 7, 8 ‘Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loves, is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love.’ Matt. v. 44, 45, ‘But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that Curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.‘ Eph. v. i, 2, ‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savor.’ John xiii. 35. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.’ Now the following of so rare an example, and imitating of so noble and high a pattern, doth exalt the soul into a royalty and dignity, that it dwells in God and God in it, 1 John iv. 16. This is the highest point of conformity with God, and the nearest resemblance of our Father. To be like him in wisdom, that wretched aim, did cast men as low as hell; but to aspire unto a likeness in love, lifts up the soul as high as heaven, even to a mutual inhabitation. Hugh Binning, “A Treatise on Christian Love,” in The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning, 3^rd edition, (Edinburgh: A Fullarton and Co., 1851), 525-526. [Pagination the same as in the Soli Deo Gloria edition; some spelling modernized; and underlining mine.]