SERMON XXI. 295 " By two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie ;" that is, his oath and his promise, he hath establish- ed his covenant of grace, " that the heirs of salvation, might have strong consolation ;" Heb. vi. 18. Hereby it comes to pass that we have a sure hope of eternal life ; for as God that cannot lie bath promised it to us in Christ Jesus before the world be- gan ;" Tit. i. 2. and 2 Tim. i. 9. And though it was so long ,ago since the first promise was made, the first promise made to Christ before the foundations of theworld, and the first promise made to fallen Adam a little after the foundations of the world were laid ; yetour God hath not forgotten his, promises and his covenant ; he remains still faithful to fulfil every word of grace " that is gone is out of his lips ;". Ps. lxxxix. 33, 34. And should not this oblige us to like faithfulness to our fellow-crea- tures, since God, who is so infinitely our superior, is pleased thus to bind himself by promises, and thus to fulfil them. The -constancy and immutability of God in his designs of mercy to sinners, should influence us to the practice of the same constancy of spirit in our professions of his gospel. God acts always like himself, conformable to the glory, and holiness, and dignity of his nature, so should we, who are thesons anddaugh- ters of the most high and holy God. He his uniform in hiscoun- sels and methods of grace and peace, he is unchangeable in his love, and always the same: " And Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to -day, and for ever ;" constant tohimself, and con- sistent with himself in all the purposes of his mercy, and in all the prosecutions of those divine and eternal purposesin hea- ven and on earth. No alteration of circumstances, no change of place, fröin a cross on earth to a throne in heaven, can change his compassion and love to his saints. And shall we suffer our petty changeshere onearth, from a higher to a lower partof a little mole-hill, to make such a shameful alteration in our conduct to our friends, as too often endangers our truth, and discovers our inconstancy ? Let us consider that by our professionof christianity we re- nounce deceit and falsehood, and all the hidden things of dark- ness: We Are children of the light, then let us walk in the light atmd do the truth, and let our deeds be made manifest, that they are wrought in God; that is, in the faith and fear of God; John -iii. 21. Whyshould a christian be adeceiver, when he bears the flame of Christ the faithful and true? How inconsistent a charac- ter is it for a christian to be a liar'? For a christian to be false, and violate and break his word ? How dishonourable is it to the holy name we bear? Let the children of Satan, who is a liarfrom thebeginning, 460 themselves in falsehood, and sport themselves in their
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