Sëim. LXXIX. TheUnchangeablenef rfGod. 59 change nor ceafe to be fo, fot'with him is no variablenefs nor Jhadow öf Turning. Every good Gift, and every perfefl Gift ; all that Goodnefs, and all thofe De- grees of Perfe&ion, which are in the Creatures, in the highef}'Angels or Saints; in the beft of the Sons of Men, whatever there is of Excellency and Perfe&ioti, of Goodnefs or Happinefs in any of them, is from above, that is fromHeaven it is the Gift of God, and cometh down from that perfe& good and glorious Being, whom the Apofile here calls the Father of Lights, in allulion to the Sun, which is a kind of univerfal Benefa&or to the World, and liberally difpenfeth his Light and,Heat and Influence upon all things here below but then there is this diffe- rence, the Sun changeth its Habitudes and Poltions in reference to us, and va- ries its Shadows, it rifeth and fets, comes nearer to us, and goes farther fromus ; but it is otherwife with this Intelle&ualand Immaterial Sun, the Father ofLights; with whom there is novariablenefs nor fhadow of turning, AgotAayl9 ñ -rpc7rrç d ro- osmnatL e, which are all Afironomical Words ; the firft V e liignifies the various Habitudes and Pofitions wherein the Sun appears to us every Day, at its rifing, in the Meridian, and when it fets ; 7pem+ is a Word which belongs not to the daily, but to the yearly courfe of the Sun, which is nearer to us, or farther from us, as he approacheth nearer towards the Northern or Southern Tropicks ; and hence it is that it cafts feveral fhadows to People in feveral Countries.; and agreeably to this, the Word chesrsmnvs ce calling of /hallows, being joyned with rpo7r, fignifies the variation of the fhadows according to the Courfe and Motion of the Sun. But God is an Eternal Spring of Light, which never rifeth or fets, which hath no mixture'of fhadow nor darknefs, hath no changes nor variations, but is al- ways the fame free and liberal difpenfer of good things to his Creatures the Fa= ther of Lights, with whom is no variablenefs or fhadow of turning ; which Words lignifie the immutable perfetlion andgoodnefs of the Divine Nature; which that! (by God's affiance be the fubje& of my prefent Difcourfe ; In which I gull proceed in this Method. Firfi, I thall briefly explain what is meant by the immutability or unchangeable"- nefs of the Divine Nature. ` Secondly, I (hall thew that this is a perfe&ion efThntial toGod, tobe immutably what he is, that is good and perfePi. Thirdly, I (hall anfwer an Objedtion which lies againfi it, from the mention fo often made in Scripture of God's repenting himfelf. And Fourthly, Apply the Conuderation of it toour felves. I. For the Explication of it. By the immutability of God, we mean that he always is, and was, and to all Eternity will be the fame, that he undergoes no changes either of his Effence and Being, or of his Properties and Perfedions. Id reference to the unchangeablenefs of his Being, he is faid to be eternal, incorrupti- ble, and only to have.lmmortality. In reference to his Perfeílions, he is always the fame infinitely Wife, and Good, and Powerful, and Holy, and Juft Being ; fróm whence it follows, that he is Conftant and Immutable in all his Decrees and Coun- fels, his Purpofes and Promifes. We are uncertain and mutable in our very Na- tine and Beings, and in all thofe Qualities and Perfe&ions which belong to us; in all our Purpofes, Refolutions and A&ions ; we are continually growing or de-. creafing in this or that quality, and do frequently change from one extream to. another, from that which is . more perfe& to the contrary, now knowing, and then ignorant, fometimes wife, and oftner fooli(h, flronger and weaker, better or worfe, as it happens, and as we order our felves, continually waxing or wain- ing in our Knowledge, and Wifdom, and Goodnefs, and. Power ; we frequently change our Minds, and alter our Purpofes, and break our Promifes, and contradi& our firmeft and moft ferious Refolutions,and fpeak a thing and do it not,fay it and do not bring it to pafs ; but God is everlaftingly the fame in all his Perfe (ions, conftant to hisIntentions, Ready tohis Purpofe, immutably fixed and perfevering. in all his Decrees and Refolutions. I proceed to the II. Thing I propofed, namely, To thew that this Perfetlion is effential to God,, to be unchangeably what he is. And this I !hall endeavour to make mini;eft- Gggg b'orlf
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