99 / 504
Of
God's
UnçhangeabfendCe.
'
CAP.
II. 4:19.
fpenfation
towards
one
and thefame
Objea5
and
confequently,
for
him
to
expref
himfelfe,
as
this
day, towards a Perfon,Man
or
Woman, as
if'
he
intended
to
fave
them,
or
that
he really
intended
to
Pave
them, and
fhould
on
the morrow, m
the
alteration in
the
interim
may
be
or
how
ever may
be
fuppofed
in
thefe Perfans,
expreffé
himfelfe to
the
contrary, as
that
he
verily intends
to
detiro),
them
,
would
not
argue
or imply
the
leafi
Alteration
in
him.
It
is
true,fuch Difpenfations
ofGod,as
are morally declarative
of
what God
approves,of
what he reje&s,not ingagements
of
any
particular
intédment,de-
figne,or purpofe
of
his
Will,or
fuch
as
are
meerely
outward
As
of
his
Pow-
er,
mayin
great variety be
fubfervient
to
the accomplithment
of
his
Purpofe,
& may undergoe
(the
firft, in refpe&
of
theObje&g
the
latter,of
the Works
themfelves)many
alterations,without prejudice
to
the Immutability
of
God.
The
firf}
in
themfelves,are everlaftingly
unchangeable;God
alwaies
approves
the
obedience
of
his Creatures,
according
to that
Light and
knowledge,
which
he
is
pleafed
to
communicate
unto
them:
and alway condemnes
,
difallowes
their Rebellions;
yet the
fame
Perlons
may
doe fometimeswhat he approves,'
and fometimes
what he
condemnes,
without the
leaf}
fhadow
of
change
in
God. Whileft they thus change,
his
Purpofes concerning
them, and what he
will doe
to
them, and for
them,are
unchangeable
as
is
his
Law
concerning
Good
and
Evilly.
For the
latter, take
an infiance
in
the
cafe
of
Pharaoh;
God
purpofeth
the deftruftion
of
Pharaoh,
and
fuites his
Difpenfations in
great va-
riety, and with many changes, for the bringing
about, and
accomplifhing
of
that
his
unchangeable Purpofe; he
Plagues
him, and
Frees
him,
he
Frees
him,
and
Plagues
him
againe: all
thefe things
doe not
in
the
leaf}
proove any
alte-
ration
in
God,
being all various
effe&s
of
his
Power, fuited
to
the accom-
plithment
of
an
unchangeable Purpofe.
So
in refpe&
of
Perfons, whom he
in-
tends to bring,(through
Chrift,)infallibly
to
himfelfe,how various
are
his
Di-
fpenfations
bothTemporali
and Spirituali
?
He
.$lids
them
, and
Relieves
them,
fends
them
Light
and
Darheneffe, Strength
and
ÍT%eakeneffe
Forfakes
and
Appears
to
them
againe,
without the
leaf}
alteration
in
his
thoughts, and
purpofestowards
them:
all there things, by
his
infinite
Wifdome, working
together
for
their
good. But now,
if
by Di/penfation, you
underftand and
comprehend
alfo,
the thoughts
and Purpofes
of
God towards any , for
the
bringing
of
them
to
fuch
and
fuch
an
end, if
thefe be
altered,
and the
Lord
doth
change
them continually, I know no reafon, why
a
poore
Worme
of
the
Earth
may
not
lay an equall claime. (abfit Blafphemia)
to
Immutability and
Unchangeablenefï'e, with him who
Afferts
it,as
his
Effentiall
Property
,and
Prerogative,
whereby he diftinguifheth him
felfe
from
all
Creatures
what
-
foever.
There
is
alto an Ambiguity
in
that
expreflion,
that
God
exprefeth himfelfe
this
day
towards
a
Manor
Woman,
that
he
really
intends
to
fave
them,
and
on
the
morrow exprefseth himfelfe to
the contrary
:
If
our Author intends
only Gods
Morally
approbation
of
Duties and Performances,
as
was
Paid
before, with
the
Conditionall approbation
ofPerfons,
with
refpe&
to
them
,there
being
there-
.
in
no
Declaration
of
any
Intention, or Purpofe
of
God properly
fo
called,
the
infrance
is
not in theleaft
looking
toward the
bufineffe, we have
in
hand.
But
ifwithall,
he
intend
-the Purpofes and
Intentions
óf
the
will
of
God
, as
thofe
termes
really
intend,
and
verily
intend,doe
import ; I know not what
to
tall
or account
Alteration
and
Change,
if
this
be
not ;
furely
if a
ma
n,like
our
felves,
doe
really
intend
one
thing one day, and
verily
intend the
cleane con-
trary the
next day,we maymake bold
to think
and
fay, he
is
Changeable;&
what
Apology will
be found, on
fuch a
fuppofall, for the Immutability
of
God,
doth not fall within the
compaffe
of
my narrow apprehenfion
;
neither
G
2
is
43
Anf.