Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v7

47.5 Chap 23 . tlr, Bxpofition upon Ike B,ok. of J 0}13. Vert r 3. do.And did he not changehis ctaind,in reference to his promife to Zion as there in reference to his threatning againfl Nincvelo.The promife toZian runs in this tenour ; Midismy refl for ever,bere mill drvell, forIhavedefred s7(Pl. 132. 14..)4et the Lord remo- ved out ofZion,hc departed from ?errsfalen,, and gave it into the enemies hands Howmany miferies, and captivities did that peo- pleundergoe, long agoe? and how are they featured from 7er:e. palem into all Lands unto this very day ? How then [hall we re- concile the Text,and poynt in hand,with tiefequoted Scriptures, and many others of a like interpretation ? How is God unchangeable,or, in one mind,when we readofhis repenting what he had done, ofhis laying what he would do,and yet not doing what l.e had f:id, both in his prornifes and in his threatnings(How can there changes and the Lords unchangeable nes Rand together ? or how is he but inone mind, the renottr of whole doings doth fo often vary, both from what he bath for. merly done, and from what he hach profefted he would doe, In a word,How is the Lord conilant to what he faithhe will do,whert either he doch it not, or doch the quite contrary to it?He that re. penteth is not in one mind, feeing repentance is a changeofche minde. Firtí,I anfwer;Repentance properly taken notes a changeof the mind; Lut in an improper or allufive fence, there may be repe:?. Lance without any the leaft change of the rnind.WhenGod is laid to repent( as in thole texts alledged) we are to underfiand it im. properiy,or only in allufion unto man. The Scripture in many o ther fpeakes of God,eitüer as condvkending tomans un derlianding, or as alluding to the common actions ofman. God doth not ac`s as man doch, yet by ludo expreffìons as hold outs, what and howmanads, we may come the more eafi ly to under.. ffhnd what God doth.As in the prefent inflance, when man re- pents, he doth thefe two things. Firf , He ceafeth ro doe, what he began to doe, he breaks the thread of his former motions. Secondly, Whenman repents that he bath done, ormade futh a thing he is ready todeface & deftroy that which he bath made or done : When man repents that he bath fet up fuchor loch a thing, he removesand takes it downe. Thus God is laid to re- pent' not becaufe his mind is changed,but.becaufe (asa man that

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