CA P.111.$5: 7. Abfoluteneffe ofGod's Pnrpofes prooved from 0.46.9.&c, 5o lute and Immutable,not that they worke any effentiall Change in theThings --- themfelves, concerning which theyare making that to be Immutable from thence , which in its owne Nature is Mutable , but only that themfelves asA&s oftheInfinite W ifdome and Will of God, are not lyable to, nor fuf- pended on any Condition whatever f orreigrie to themfelves, nor fubje& to changeor Alteration (whence floweth an infallible certainty ofa&call Ac- complifhment in referenceto the things Decreed or Purpofed, betheir owne nature what it will , or their next caufes in themfelves never fo undeter- mined to their Produ&tion) whereof I treat. That thedetermining Purpofes orDecrees ofGods will concerning any thing, or things, by him to be done, or effeEled, do not depend as to their Accomplifhment, on any conditions,that may be fuppofed in, or about the things themfelves, whereof theyare, and therefore are Vnchaazgeable and fhall certainely be brought forth unto the I,i i r.25. appointed Iffue, is that, which we are to prove. Knowing for whole fakes, Cor.26,27, and for what End thislabour wasundertaken, I (hail choofeto lay the whole 28. proofe ofthis Afjirtion upon plainTexts ofScripture, rather then mixe my Tim. 2./0. Difcourfe with any fuch Philofophicall Reafonings, as areoflittle ufe to the mofl of them, whofe benefit is hereby intended . O. 7. Ifa. 4.6: 9,10, I I. TheHoly Chaff fpeakes expresfly to our purpofe; Remem- ber theformerthings ofold:for Iam God,and there is none like me, declaring the Endfrom the beginning, andfrom ancient times, the things that arenotyet done, faying my Counfellfhall(land, and Iwill doe all my pleafure, calling a ravenous Bird from the Eall, the man that executes my counfell from a farCountry: Tea I have fpoken st, Iwillalfo bring it to pajfe; I have purpofed it,Awill alfo doe it. V.59. TheLordafferts hisowne Deity and Eternall Being, in oppofition to all falle Gods and Idols , whom hethreatens to deftroy. v.a. Of this he givesthema threefold Demonflration. Fitly, from his Patienceor fire-Knowledge, there is none like me, declaring the endfrom the beginning and ,from ancient times, the things that are not yet done; In this am I infinitely difcriminated fromall the pretended Deityes of the Nations: All things from theBeginning to the Endare naked beforeme, andI have declared them by my Prophets, even things that arefuture and contingent in themfelves; foe are the things that I now fpeake of, the de- ftru&ion ofñabylonby theMedes & Perfians, a thing to be carried on'Through innumerable contingencies, and yet as I have leenit , fohave I told it, and my counfell concerning it (hall certainely be executed. Secondly,byhis Powerin ufing what Inftruments be pleafeth for theexe- cutingofhis Purpofesand bringingabout his own defignes;callinga ravenous Birdfrom the Eafl: One that at fir*, when hewentagainft Babylon,thought of ofnothing leffe, thenExecuting the Counfell of God, but was wholly bent upon fatisfying hisowne Rapine and Ambition,not knowing then in the leaft by whom he was Anoynted & santiifyedfor the Accomplifhment ofhis Will. All the thoughts of this heart,all his Confultations &Atlions,all his Progreffes & Diverfions, his succeffe in 'his great and dreadfiill undertaking tobreake in piecesthat Hammerof the whole Earth , with all the free deliberations and Ierem. go. contingencies, wherwith hislong Warre wasattended, which were as many, firong, andvarioue,as the natureof things is capable to receive, werenot only Ifa,44.25, in every individual) A&, with itsminuteff circumftances,by himforefeene, and se'27'2s' much alfofore told, but alto m 4 ff aäged in the hand of his Power in a reg at: Yhil, 5. ,2 3,4. fubfervience to that call,whiele fo gave thatRaveinousBird,for the Acc to n plifhment ofhis Purpofe aria Pleafure. . Thirdly, by the Immutabilityofhis Purpofes which can never be fruflra- ted, nor altered; My Counfellfhall Hand, and I will doeallmyPleafure, Ihave Purpofed
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