A Sermon upon the Death of the Queen 749. The Divino Power is not capable of accellion or diminution. J, the Lurd ]ehovab ;. everlafli"g flreugth. 'Tis a Perfection infeparably inherent in his Nature: 0 Lord he exalted in thi11c own power. The Lord's ar111 "'- not jbortcmd: Without the Ieafi: PM 211 !!rain of his Power he can do all things. We have a conll:ant vifib)e demonll:ration Er.y. of the unchangeablenefs of thefe Attributes : For the fame Infinite Wildom and Power are requiGte to manage the World as to make it. Without his direll:ing Ugbt and fupporting Power, that Frame of the World would disband, and the full Har• mony of it be tnrned into confufion. He 11pho/ds ail thi1zgs by the word of his Power. H•h· ,,, The manner of lull:aining and governing this great World, is as Divine ~s ·the thing it felf. For no lels than Infinite Power can do things by a commanding Wo(d• The M~rcy of Goc~ ~ndures for ever. This is rena;ved every .Moming a'!d Moment: Ti-s ftom his 1/Cver-forlmg Comp~tjfions that we do uot fod. Th~s 1~ our contmual Advocate to deprecate the Evils we deferve, and obtains all good things for us. 'Tis Mercy fupports and fweetens our Lives, that are fo frail, and fo often forfeited. The unwall:ed Treafure of Mercy fupplyes our Wants, fatisfies our Defires, allayes our Sorrows. The Divine Mercy vanquifhes our Fears, comforts us in the Hour of Death, and crowns us after it with Everlaft:ing Life. wit1;~~ ft~)i~,e~r~;k~~~h:th~~;i~~\~llit?:.:'b~f~~ ~ful:/:y:!TeT~~ l~ ~1~~~~~~~11: 'F"J": damental Rule of Order in the Dtvine Government. 'Tis as impollible the Will of God fhould decline from Moral Good, as that his Underllanding fhould not difcern it. From hence our Saviour declares, That Heavm a11d E.~rth fhaU pafs "''"J before the Law jhaU be abo!ijbed. If the Pillars of Heaven fhould fall, and the Foundations of the Earth be overturned, there would be no lofs to God : For by one Ad: of his Will he c:in Create a New World; but if the Law, the Copy of his Holinefs, were altered or abrogated, it would be an Imputation upon his Holy Nature, as if it were Arbi trary and Mutable, and confequently he fhould ceafe to be God. Briefly, Divine Immutability is the full and conllant State of PerfeCl:ions !n the Deity. And the Ble!Tednefs of God, that confills in the fruition of himfelf, has a necelfary connexion with this Attribute. Immutability is the ground that fupports it, and the perfeCtion that crowns it. Pe~r~m~k; ~h~i~~~~~~~~ ~~fee~~~\:~x~~~~~;e~a~~;ei~ht1~s ~e;;l~. un.~i~n&i~~~: ~d'e~~;~lf.;'[~~~~b'i{i~;~thfs ~~~;.;;;~~/o~t;~, !~iso7i~li~~~~1~"~;J' ~~g: ~~ 0 1. His Counfels and Decrees that concern the recovery of the Church from its defpiled and defolate State. The unchangable PerfeCl:ions of his Nature are the Foundation of his unchangable Decrees : For there can be no change of them from within, and no controlling of them from without. The PerfeCl:ion of his Knowledge is fuch, that he can never be furprized with a fudden new t:vent, that fhould induce him to alter them : And his Power that is truly Infinite will effeCt them. His De- 'crees are exprell: to be the Com1cil of hh WiU; thofe Determinations being mo£1: cornpleat that are the produCl: of Council. There are no Temporary Decrees that begin upon an unforefeen emergency, for it :vould then foHow, there'were a Change in;"}:;;:, j/c~i God : But the~ were_ before _the Foundat?on of the World, and fhal~ }>e accomplifhed in mutt_ip'':e•ndi c~~~1~~e}':he r:;1Jb~Uft=~~~te1ti~l &~~r~~v~n;~~~~r t~~ ~~fg~~:Fs;~;s.ofT~; E:z;r:~~~: the g~od his People enjoy or expect, is of infallible accomplifb~tent. Tis the Ob- " mf''" t•f•'• f~rvat1on ~f *St. Au{liu, ~hat although the number of the EleCt fhall not be aCtually 1:~~::·. tr;;;:: ~ompleat ttll the end' of t!me, yet the Apollle !peaks of Eternal Predellination, as if •••mj•mfm· ~~~:~rze 6c~~]3, a~~~)~r:l~!oj~~if~ ;: ::~o;ho!: c;j~f;%e~e~h::/z; :lfo~o:i1e~ ; Fo~ !:m:~:!:?· hts Eternal Will, the produCl: of his Eternal Love, can never be frullrated. Jiftof•••· lfr~;l ~~:.:::•te e:,~;'//:: ,:~": ·~:!i~h:0h~:.~~1 r~~:,~, th~~:nitl~:Uu~titr;;;hhl{' P<t. '· Nature gives Firmnels. to his Counfcls, they are unretrafrable, an<\ Fidelity to his' S.m. ' ' ' ' 9 t'}:~~~lcil(][d~r~h~~v:~~~~;e~'• ~~':,,;U~.Il:le~~n4;~~l,~~l~~~~t~lb~~; ~~Poitr!'~;~~;~ htm, that m the folemn proclaiming of him to the lfraelitet, 'tis peculiarly mentioned
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