upon the Epiflle of JAM ! s. VtiRS.I8. all Wax old auz garment: Thou art the fame for ever, and thy ye;~rs have no end: All Creatures vaoith, not onely like a piece of cloth, but likeagarment; Cloth would/rot of it felf, or be eatm out by mothes, but a garment is worn, an~ wafted every day; but God cloth not change, there is no wrinkle upon the brow of Eternity ; the arm of mercy is not dryed up, nor do his bowels of love wafie and fpend themfelves: And truly this is the Churches comfort in the faddefi condition, That-how ever the face of the Creatures be changed to rhem, God will be frill the ' fame : 'Tis faid fomewhere, That the Name of God is M ttn ointment poured ot~t ; Certainly, this name of Gods immutability is M an ointment jottred out, the befi Cordial to refrefh a fainting Soul: When the. Jfraelites were in difir~fs, all the Letters of credence that God would give Mo{es were thofe, Exod. 3• 14 I am that I amhath fent me unto you : ,That was comfort enough to the Ifratlitn, that their God remained. in the fame tenor and glory of the divine Eifence; he could frill fay, I A M : With God is no change, n\l pafi or prefent, he remaineth in the fame indivirible point of Eter– nity, and therefore faith, I A M. So the Prophet MP~.!achi 3• 6. i)tt~~ x.v~@- ~x. nMo!(~cu, I am the Lord that change not, or am not changed; therefor8Je[ons of 7 acob are not confumed : Our fafery · lieth inGods imgtutability ; we cannot periili utterly, becaufe he: cannot change. Y~rfe 18. Of hu own good will begat be m,.,bf the Word'.of · Truth, that we fhould be a kjHde of prft fruits of · his Creatures. · The Apofile theweth, th~t his main aymwas to fet fbrthGodas. the Author of fpiritual gifts;. and therefore infianceth in Regeneration. . · Of his OWN good will] $1lJ\Il~~~. ~ecaufe ne would; or being . willing: The word is put, 1-. To deny compu.f~on or necefficy, , God needed not to fave any: And fecondly~ To· e~clttde merit, we · could .not obli~e ~im t~ it, ...twas-.meerly .the,good plcafure of Gof; for this ~~"'»9E-l~ 1s equivalent to·that whtcb Panl calleth ~oJG&d., the·natural bent, purpofe and inclinationof Gods heart to do tbe· Creatures good: Ephef. I. u . ~tis called rhecou-nfe/ of hiJwill, . andelfewhere11bundan; mercy 1 1 Pet.I. 3· Out of his abun~ant· ~ 3 me'rcJ: \
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