CHAPTERXXVI
TheTriumphofGod’sSovereignGoodWill100。Theseare”thegreatworksoftheLord，well-consideredinallhisactsofwill”[218]——andsowiselywell-consideredthatwhenhisangelicandhumancreationsinnedthatis，didnotdowhathewilled，butwhatitwilledhecouldstillaccomplishwhathehimselfhadwilledandthisthroughthesamecreaturelywillbywhichthefirstactcontrarytotheCreator’swillhadbeendone。AstheSupremeGood，hemadegooduseofevildeeds，forthedamnationofthosewhomhehadjustlypredestinedtopunishmentandforthesalvationofthosewhomhehadmercifullypredestinedtograce。
For，asfarastheywereconcerned，theydidwhatGoddidnotwillthattheydo，butasfarasGod’somnipotenceisconcerned，theywerequiteunabletoachievetheirpurpose。Intheirveryactofgoingagainsthiswill，hiswillwastherebyaccomplished。
Thisisthemeaningofthestatement，”TheworksoftheLordaregreat，well-consideredinallhisactsofwill”——thatinastrangeandineffablefashioneventhatwhichisdoneagainsthiswillisnotdonewithouthiswill。Foritwouldnotbedonewithouthisallowingit——andsurelyhispermissionisnotunwillingbutwilling——norwouldhewhoisgoodallowtheeviltobedone，unlessinhisomnipotencehecouldbringgoodevenoutofevil。
101。Sometimes，however，amanofgoodwillwillssomethingthatGoddothnotwill，eventhoughGod’swillismuchmore，andmuchmorecertainly，good——forundernocircumstancescaniteverbeevil。Forexample，itisagoodson’swillthathisfatherlive，whereasitisGod’sgoodwillthatheshoulddie。