M,d.Jo 6, tTim. 6. A Sermon upon tbe .Death_of the Qyeen. exempt from all change in his Nature, and from all accidental chan•c. The Rear. of this is evident from the confideration of his neceffary felf-exifren~e and from t~n abfolute fimplicity of his Being. Self-ei<ifterice is the intrinfical Property of Go/ Nature : He defines himfelf by it, I am that I am, ~e directs M(){et to tell the lji : lite.r, I ttm bathfmt me mJto you. This and. the wonder working Rod were his (;tte dentia ls to authorize and dignifie him in their elteem, and to induce them to beii;ehis Meffage. '}choval•, which is the fame with I am, is the effential, fupream a~d · fin gular Name of God, whereby he is diftinguiilied from all Created Bein•s : It'exh·- bits the clcarefl: Character of the Deity. There are other Divine-Titles ~hat fi•nifie particular Attributes, but '}chovah declares his Being from himfelf, independent~pon a~y caufe ~ his ne~effary Etern~l Nature the Ro~t (if I may fo fpeak) from which Jus PerfectiOns fprtng and flounfh. All other thmgs are from Ius Caufality. C>ery fpark of Life, every degree of Being is from him: But the moll: excellent C;catures compared to him, are but as dark fhadows without reality. Therefore God affumes to himfelf, I ""'• and there k none bejides me. 'Tis faid the whole World compared ;~.:~7',,~:;;: t"j'~~:[ ::~:t-::.et ~~;;{i~· :r :r!~t~'tdfn~:c:•~:;::e~~~~fJ:~t:t Angels, than between the Angels and their native nothing : For they have derived and dependent, limited Beings, but God is all Perfection, all Greatnefs and Goodnef; from himfelf. This neceffary Self-exifl:ence of God is the Foundation of his Immutability: Thus ~e~f~e~~~~'! {1::: ::: /;:r:ilt~~:t:"~i}r:~;g:l;~~~e ~~r i~ :~~~:~:~y axef~~~~a~:c;~~ of Exifl:ence invincibly infers the infinity of Exifl:ence : For the limits of any Bein• are determined by the produll:ive caufe Elf it. Of Created Beings fome excel in on~ ~~~'![;;n~~~~ !~i~~~~~~~th~~c~~~}~Ai~e t~: ::;~~~t~:;:ea~d~~~h ;:e;~u~~;~nl~p~m~: in God. For nothing can accrue to Infinite Perfection, and nothing can be wanting to it. · Any acceffion to his Excellency implyes, there was a defect before, if any im· pairing, there would be a defect afterward : From hence it follows, either that he was not God before, or that he !loa \I ceafe to be God afterward, it beirrg abfolutely .im~l~~bf~)~~:'Pt'm~f[;~~i~~ ~~;v~~ftfei~~~~r~udo<;,0f~fer the immutability of it. 'Tis true the PerfeCl:wns of God are exprefl: by different titles, and are appre!Jended by us under different conceptions, yet they are all the fame Infinite Nature. There is no compofition and mixture of Wifdom, and Power, and Goodnefs in God, but he is all Perfection in the Unity of his Effence. Eternity is a refultance from his independent Nature : For we cannot conceive of a Being neceffary in it felf, but it mull: be Eternal ; From everlajling to everlajli11g th"' .rt God. Whatever is made is perifhable, either from the principles of its compofi· ~~~~~ ~~;J~~t~~~.ie~ro~~;Iibea~~r\;i~~~-be~y,em~~~~~~.j~~;~~~~PFf;jt~~~t~~~~:n~~. ~~; mortal to God he can by a word annihilate them: Nay, their Immortality depends upon his Pow~r the productive and confervative caufe of their Beings. He only has Immortality', the infeparable Perfection of his Nature, and befl:ows it upon others. The Eternity of God is infeparably connexed with his Immutability : For that Being that cannot change, cannot ceafe to be. Thefe Attributes infer and illuftrate one another. Thofe things which time befl:ows, it takes away: Flowers that are of a fpringing accomplifhment, gradually wither_: But ~he. Sun fhon~ with as much luftre and force the firfl: day as ever fince, and contmues m Jts perfectiOn. God was from Eternity, and therefore is always the fame in himfelf. He is not morePowerful when he Works, nor Wife when he Governs, nor more Jnfr when he Pumfhes, n01: more Good when he befl:ows his Benefits. The Immutability of the Divine Nature IS proper to every Perfell:ion : I will mention fome of them. . it r:~~ ~~~i~:fl:~~~ 0o~ !~1 f~h~~~~:~~~~~fo~;no~et~~ c~:!:~~~ ~~jt·ap:~rn~ei:~~fi7. l~e~,f~e:~s e~en~~t~i~;~ar:;~di~~~[;C:~~~~~ EJ: f;::~~~~~a~~lfe~~~sanvde;~l c~:Jb~; in l1imfe!f: For he perfeltly underfl:ands his own Power, and his own Wt!l. To his Coeternal Knowledge nothing is pall:, or to come: Nothing occurs new, or appears old. :rJJe
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