Serin LXkIX. Thé Uchangrsablénef ofGodo Sins and turn to him, they will find him ready to receive them upon their Repen- tance and Submißïon ; for be is a Godgracious andmerciful, flow to anger and ready to forgive, he is unchangeably good, and his mercy endureth for ever : but if they will not come in, and fubmit to thefe Terms, there is nothing before them but Ruin and Deftru Lion, nothing 'then remains but a fearful looking for of judgment, and"cry indignation to confume them. God hath declared to us the terms of our Pardon and Peace, and if we will not come up to them, he is at a point, he cannot change his Nature, nor will he alter the terms of his Covenant ; there is a perfeét and eternal oppofition between the Holy Nature of God, and an impe- nitent Sinner ; and 'tis impoilible filch an one fhould be Happy, till this oppofi- tion he remov'd ; and to do that, there are but two ways imaginable, by chan- ging God or by changing our (elves ; the Nature of God is fixedand unalterable ; God cannot recede from hisown pure Nature ; therefore we mutt depart from our finful and corrupt Nature God cannot quit his Holinefs ; therefore we muff leave our Sins : we can have no hope to change God ; therefore we mull change our felves. Re6tifie Sinner thine own corrupt Nature, and renounce thy Lulls, do not venture upon Impoffìbilities, rather think of altering thy finful Naturë, which may be changed, than of altering the Divine Nature, which is effentially im- mutable, with whom is no variablenefs, nor lhadow of turning. God hath once con= defcended fo far, as to take ourNature upon him, to make us capable of Happinefs ; but if this will not do, he can go no lower, he will not, he cannot put offhisowii Nature to make us Happy. Secondly, In reference to Good Men, the confederation of God's unchangeablè . nefs is matter of great Confolation to them, in all the Changes and Vicitiitudes of the World ; their main Comfort and Hope is built upon aRock, the Rock of Ages, as the exprefron is in the Prophet Ifaiah 26. 4. it relies upon the unchange- able Goodnefs andFaithfulnefs of God, all whole Promifes areTea, andAmen, Truth and Certainty. ,.411 other Supports and Hopes may fail us : but Godwill not fuf- fer his faithfulnefs to fail, his Covenant will he not break, nor alter the thing which is gone out of bus. Lips, as the Pfalmift affures us, Pfal. 89.33. Men may break their Word, and be lets than their Promifes : but God is faithful, who hath pro- mifed to givegrace andglory, and to with-hold no good thing from them that walk up- rightly ; he is not as Man, that he fhould lie, or as thefort of Man that he fhould repent ; hath he fpoken and (ball he not do it ? hath hefaid it, and (hall not hé bring it topafs ? If there be any thing that hath,the appearance of achange in God, it is ufu= ally on the merciful fide, as when he flops the execution of his threatnings upon the repentance of a finful Nation ; as in that remarkableText which I mention'd before, Per. a. 7, 8. At what inflant I (hall fpeak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deflroy it, if that Nation . againfl whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them : and fo likewife when his faithful People and Servants are in great Diftrefs, and there is no vifible help and means of relief, in this tafe likewife God is faid to repent and to appear for their refcue. Dent. 3s. 36. The Lord ¡halljudge his People, and repent himfelf for hisServants, whenhe feeth that their power is gone. Thus we should comfort our felves in the greateft extremities with the corifi- deration of the immutable goodnefs and faithfulnefs of God. The Things of the World are Mutable, and the Men of the World; even thofe things which feeth molt contrant, as the Heavens ; and to be fettled upon the fureft Foundations; as the Earth ; yet thefe fhall be changed, Pfal. tax,. as, z6, 2,7. Of old haft than laid the Foundations of the Earth, and the Heavens are the Work of thy Hands; they 'Ball perilh, but thou ¡halt endure, all ofthem 'hall wax old likeagarment, as a veflure ¡halt thou change them, and they 'hall be changed, but thouart the fame, and thyyeari ¡hall have no end .; from whence the Pfalmift infers this comfort to the Church and People of God, v. 2.8. The Children of thy Servants 'hall continue, and their Seed ¡hallbe eflablifbed before thee. NOthin
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