596 The Unchangeabienef of God. 'Vol. I, exprefs, becaufe of force tacit Condition implyed in it, which he did not think fit to acquaint us with. And this doth not at all derogate from the conflancy and immutability of God : for when God did threaten, he fpake what he did really pur_ pole and intend, if fomething did not intervene to prevent the Judgment threat- ned, upon which he was refolved at that timewhen he threatned, to be taken off and to flay his Hand ; and in thus doing, God doth not mutare confilium fedfen- tentiam ; He loth not change his inwardCounfel and Purpofe, but takes off the fen- tence, which was paft with refèrved conditions and unknown to us, 'on purpofe to urge us the more effectually to Repentance. And that God ufually referves Inch Conditions, not only in his Threatnings; but fometimesalfo in his Promifes, appears from that remarkable Text, Ter. 18. 7 8, 9, t o. At what injlant I (hall fpeak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, topluck up, and to pull down, and to deJiroy it ; if that Nation againjl whom I have pronounced, turn from the evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them : at what infant I'hall fpeak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to build and toplant it ; if it do evil in my fight, that it dey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith Ifaid Iwould benefit them. And from this very Confideration the fame Prophet encourageth the People to repen- tance, Jer. 26. 13. Therefore now amend your Ways and your Doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will repent him of the evil be bath pro- nounced againjt you. And we have a famous inflance of this in the cafe of Nine- veh, the deftrudion whereof withinForty Days after, God had openly proclaimed by his Prophet ; yet he flops the Execution of the Sentence upon their Repen- tance, 9onah 3. io. The Men of Nineveh turned from their evil ways, and theLord repentedof the evil he laid he would do unto them, andhe did it not. Ali that now remains is to apply this Doctrine of the immutability of the Di- vineNature to our felves ; and the Confideration of it may ferve to feveral good Purpofes, both in reference to bad and good Men. Firff, In regard to Sinners and Wicked Men. And, tjt. The Uncbangeablenefs of God is matter of great terror to Wicked Men. Let but the Sinner confider what God is, and the confideration of his unchangeable nature muff needs terrifie him ; He is a holy God, and of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity, Hab. t. a a. He isnot a God that pathpleafure in wickeduefs,. neither /hall evil dwell with him, the fooliJh /hall not Rand in bis fight, he hateth allthe Workers of Iniquity, Pfal. 5. 4, S. He is likewife a jujt God, andwill by no means clear the guilty, nor let Sin gounpunilhed, Exod. 34. 7. He is alfo omnipotent, and able to execute the vengeance threatned againft Sinners. Who knoweth the power of thine anger ? Pfal. 9o. a a. Thou even thou art to be feared, andwho may Eland in thyfight when once thou art angry. Pfal. 76. 7. Strong is the Lord God who juegeth. Rev. t r. 8. And which gives a fad accent toall this, he that is thus ho- ly and juft and powerful, continues for ever the fame, and will never alter or put off any of thefe Properties, will never ceafe to hate Iniquity, and to be an im- placable Enemy to all impenitent Sinners : and is it not a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of this holy and juft and omnipotent God who lives for ever, and can punifh for ever ? Let all obftinate Sinners hear this and tremble ; you cannot be more obftinately bent to continue in your wicked Ways, than God is perempto- rily refolved to make you miferable. If you,be determined upon a finful courfe; God is alto determined how he will deal with you, that he will not fpare, but that his anger, andjealoufie flailmake againjf you, and that all thecurfes that are written inhis Book (hall light upon you, and that he will blot out your name from under Hea- ven ; he bath fworn in his wrath, that unbelieving and impenitent Sinners (hall not enter into his ref/ ; and for the greater aflurance of the thing, and that we may not think, that there is any condition implyed in thefe Threatnings, hebath con- firtn'd them by an Oath, that by this immutable Sign, in which it is impeible for God to lie, Sinners might have Jirong terrors, and nót be able to fly to any in hopes of refuge. idly, The confideration of God's Unchangeablenefs, fhould likewife be a very powerful Argument to urge Sinners to Repentance. If they will but leave their Sins
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