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At the same time they point out that this grace, in distinction from general common grace,
belongs to the economy of redemption.[Cf. Mastricht, God geleerdheit I, p. 441; Brakel,
Redelijke Godsdienst I, pp. 729 f.; Hodge, Syst. Theol. II, p. 654; A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theol.,
p. 449; Shedd, Calvinism Pure and Mixed, pp. 98 f.; Vos, Geref. Dogm. IV, pp. 13 f.] Finally, it
should be noted that the term gratia communis is susceptible of, and has actually received, not
only a quantitative, but also a qualitative interpretation. It may denote a grace that is common
in the sense of ordinary. The ordinary, in distinction from the special, operations of the Holy
Spirit are called common. His natural or usual operations are contrasted with those which are
unusual and supernatural. This is the meaning of the term “common” in the Westminister
Confession X. 4; and the Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 60. W. L. Alexander declares of the
common grace enjoyed by those who live under the gospel: “The grace thus bestowed is
common, not in the sense of being given to all men in common, but in the sense of producing
effects which are ordinary, and may fall short of a real saving efficacy.”[System of Bib. Theol. II,
p. 352.] So understood, the grace of God may be common without being general or universal.
2. CONCEPT.
The distinction between common and special grace is not one that applies to
grace as an attribute in God. There are no two kinds of grace in God, but only one. It is that
perfection of God in virtue of which he shows unmerited and even forfeited favour to man. This
one grace of God manifests itself, however, in different gifts and operations. The richest
manifestation of it is seen in those gracious operations of God which aim at, and result in, the
removal of the guilt, the pollution, and the punishment of sin, and the ultimate salvation of
sinners. But while this is the crowning work of the grace of God, it is not its only manifestation.
It appears also in the natural blessings which God showers upon man in the present life, in spite
of the fact that man has forfeited them and lies under the sentence of death. It is seen in all
that God does to restrain the devastating influence and development of sin in the world, and to
maintain and enrich and develop the natural life of mankind in general and of those individuals
who constitute the human race. It should be emphasized that these natural blessings are
manifestations of the grace of God to man in general. Some prefer to say that they are
expressions of His goodness, kindness, benevolence, mercy, or longsuffering, but seem to
forget that He could not be good, kind, or benevolent to the sinner unless He were first of all
gracious. It should be borne in mind, however, that the term gratia communis, though generally
designating a grace that is common to the whole of mankind, is also used to denote a grace
that is common to the elect and the non-elect that are living under the gospel, such as the
external gospel call that comes to both alike, and that inner illumination and those gifts of the
Spirit of which we read in Heb. 6:4-6. It is understood, however, that these privileges can be
called common grace only in the sense that they are enjoyed by the elect and the reprobate
indiscriminately, and that they do not constitute special, in the sense of saving, grace. In
distinction from the more general manifestations of common grace they, while they do not