'2 Chap. 23, An Expoftion upon theBookofJGB. Verá: 13; written ; that is, what I have written (hall hand; fo what motion foever flzould be made to God to recall the giftsofeffeduall cal- ling, he would furely anfwer, what Ihave given I have given, mygift /hall f$and. There aregifts of a meere outward calling, which God takes away againe. His gifts doenot Rand with filch, becaufe they handRill with his gifts. That was the doom of the idle fervant who hadone talent given him ; Take the talentfrom him, andgive it to him that bath ten Talents (Matth.a5. i 5.z8. ) But the gift of effectuall calling thall not be taken away. (lam. t. i7.) Every goodgift, and every penfec`lgift (filch is the gift ofeffeduall cal ing) isfrom above, and cometh downsfrom the father oflights, withwhom isno variahlenes,nor fhadowof turning, And as there is no variablenes in God,as to the matter or general natureof the gifts whichhebeftoweth(they are all good and per- feft gifts in their kind though they are not all in the fame degree ofgoodnes and perfe&ion , God doth not give his people, fome- times bread, and fometime.a ftone,now an eg and anon a fcorpi- on,now,I fay,as there is no variablenes inGod,as to the natureof the giftswhich he beftoweth)fo there is no variablenes in him as , to thea& ofgivingor beftowing. As the Lord giveth liberally, and upbraydethnot (Jam. r. 5,) fo he giveth liberally and repen- tethnot. Thuswe fee he is not onely one, but in one minde ; He is unchangeable ; And that not onely in his of fence and glorious attributes or perfections, but in his connfells, and decrees, in his promifes, and threatnings, in his gifts and bounties toall his peo- ple ; He giveth and repenteth not. Before I paffe from this poynt, it will be needful! to anfwer forceObjectionswhich are railed againft it from tholeScriptures which feeme to fay, that God is not ofsae mink, or that his mind doth alter and change. Firft,That report which Mofesmakes of God kerns to fay fo, (gen.6.6.) And it repented the Lord,that be hadmade man on the earth, and it grieved himat his heart :What is repentance,but the changeof themind? therefore he that repents is not in one mind. Seeing thenGod repents,how is heunchangeably in one mind?A like appearance ofcontradi& ion, we find`,(s Sam. a 5.)not onely with this text in lob, but between the i i. verfe compared with the 29. of the fameChapter. The t i. verfe fpeakes thus ; Then came sheword ofthe Lordonto Samuelfaying, it repenteth meshpt
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