Antidote Against Arminianism, Discourse · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the Second Property of the Divine Decree, it is Unchangeable.
THE Second Property of the Divine Decree is, it is Unchangeable: Hence 'tis compared to a Mountain of Brats, Zech. 6.1. and 'tis call'd foreign, the Immutability of his Counſel, Heb. 6.17. This is made Evident by ſundry Reaſons. As,
Reaſon 1. The Divine Decree hath an Unchangeable Fountain, to wit, the Unchangeableneſs of God, Job 23.13. He is in one mind, and who can turn him? [foreign. Vehi beachad] Et ipſe in uno. He deſires and he doth it, there is no Created Being can interpoſe 'twixt the Deſire and the Doing, to hinder their Meeting together; Numb. 23.19. God is not a Man that he ſhould lye, or the Son of Man that he ſhould repent: Mal. 3.6. I am God, I change not. Jam. 1.17. No ſhadow of changing in him. The Counſel of the Lord ſhall ſtand, and the Thought of his Heart to a Thouſand Generations. Pſal. 33.11. Many Devices are in the Hearts of Men, but the Counſel of the Lord ſhall ſtand. Prov. 19.21. Man is a poor changeable Creature, and changes his Mind oftner than his Garment, both from the Darkneſs of his Underſtanding and Perverſneſs of his Will; he ſees ſomething that he ſaw not before; but there is no ſuch Imperfection in God, All things are maked before him, [foreign] diſſected, or with their Faces upward, Heb. 4.13. He knows (quaſi uno intuitu) all his Works (their Natures and Circumſtances) as perfectly in the Beginning of the World, as he will do at the End of it; and he abides ſtill in one Mind when his Diſpenſations are changed, for he decreed the Change of them from all Eternity.
Reaſon 2. It ſtands upon an Unchangeable Foundation, to wit, that Rock of Ages, Jeſus Chriſt, the ſame Yeſterday, to Day, and for Ever, Heb. 13.8. As the firſt Adam was the Foundation ſtone in the Decree of Creation; ſo the Second Adam was the Foundation ſtone in the Decree of Election: God hath bleſſed us in him, Eph. 1.3. [and we ſhall be bleſſed] he hath choſen us in him, v. 4. pardon'd us in him, v. 7. feal'd us in him, v. 13. built us in up him, Col. 2.7. and compleated us in him, v. 10. according to his Purpoſe and Grace which was given us IN Chriſt Jeſus before the World began; 2 Tim. 1.9. All thoſe Acts of Grace are ſaid to be [In] Chriſt, and Chriſt himſelf was under Divine Ordination, 1 Pet. 1.20. and is called the Elect Stone, 1 Pet. 2.4. Chriſt is the firſt Perſon Elected, (Iſa. 42.1. & Mat. 12.18. Behold my Servant whom I have choſen) as Adam was the firſt Perſon created, Chriſt was choſen as the Head, and we as his Members; therefore are we ſaid to be given to Chriſt: John 17.2. Now ſo long as this Foundation ſtandeth ſure, ſo long doth the Superſtructure remain unchangeable; the Temple ſtood firmly upon thoſe Two Pillars [Jachin and Boaz, i. e. Stability and Strength] ſo the Decree of Election ſtandeth ſure upon Chriſt the Foundation, and none can pluck an Elect Soul from off this Foundation; None can pluck any of [His] out of his Hands, John 10.28. Chriſt will loſe none that are given to him, John 6.39.
Reaſon 3. 'Tis Unchangeable, becauſe it is a Decree written in Heaven; and ſo above the Reach of either Angry Men, or Enraged Devils to cancel: God knoweth who are his, 2 Tim. 2.19. the Aſſembly of the Firſt-born written in Heaven, Heb. 12.23. Thence is it called the Lamb's Book of Life, which contains a Catalogue of the Elect, determined by the Unalterable Counſel of God, which Number hath a fulfilling Time, Rev. 6.11. and can neither be increaſed nor diminiſhed. This is to be rejoiced in above Dominion over Devils, Luke 10.20. which (if our Names may be written in Heaven to Day, and blotted out to Morrow) would be no ſuch Ground of Joy: If the Decrees of the Medes and Perſians (which were but Writings on Earth) were unalterable, Dan. 6.8. how much more the Decrees of the great God written in Heaven muſt be Unchangeable? Muſt Pilate ſay, Quod ſcripſi, ſcripſi; that is, my Writing ſhall not be altered; and ſhall not God ſay ſo much more? I know (ſaith Solomon) that what God doth, it ſhall be for ever; Eccleſ. 3.14. Nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it, his Counſel ſhall ſtand, Prov. 19.21. and the Sun may ſooner be ſtop'd in his Courſe, than God hindered of his Work or in his Will: Nature, Angels, Devils, Men, may all be reſiſted, and ſo miſs of their Deſign; not ſo God, for who hath reſiſted his Will? All thoſe Chariots of Humane Occurrences and Diſpenſations, come forth from between thoſe Mountains of Braſs, the Unalterable Decrees of God, Zech. 6.1. And ſhould it be granted, that one Soul may be blotted out of this Book of Life (this Writing in Heaven) then is it poſſible that all may be ſo, and by conſequence it may be ſuppoſed, that that Book may become Empty and Uſeleſs as waſte Paper, and that Chriſt may be an Head without a Body.
Reaſon 4. 'Tis Unchangeable, for the Decree concerning the End includes the Means to that End, and binds them all together with an Irrefragable Chain which can never be broken, Rom. 8.30. Therefore the Purpoſe of God concerning Election muſt ſtand, Rom. 9.11. God doth not decree the End without the Means, nor the Means without the End; but both together. As a Purpoſe for Building includes the Hewing of Stone, and Squaring of Timber, and all other Materials for Buildingwork: And as a Decree for War implies Arms, Horſes, Ammunition, and all Warlike Proviſions: So here, all that are Elected to Salvation, are Elected to Sanctification too; God ordains to the Means, as well as to the End. A…ts 13.48. As many as were ordained unto Life believed: God hath before ordained that we ſhould walk in Good Works, Eph. 2.10. We are Elected unto Obedience, through the Sanctification of the Spirit; 1 Pet. 1.2,4. and unto Faith, Tit. 1.1. and God hath appointed Theological Vertue to be the Way to Glory, 2 Pet. 1.3. therefore God hath promiſed to ſanctifie whom he hath purpoſed to ſave: We teach with Auguſtine, that Election is Preaeparatio et Gratiaeet Gloriae, 'tis an Ordaining to Grace as well as to Glory; and if Grace and Glory meet not both together [aut vinceretur aut falleretur Deus] either God muſt be conquered or deceived: In Predeſtination therefore, the Means of Salvation are no leſs abſolutely decreed then Salvation it ſelf: We may not conceive, that God's Decree runs after this Form, I will predeſtinate Peter to Salvation, if it ſhould happen ſo, that he doth believe and perſevere: But rather thus, I do predeſtinate Peter to Salvation, which that he may infallibly obtain, I will give him both Faith and Perſeverance; otherwiſe God's Decree would not be foreign, and the Foundation would not ſtand ſure, 2 Tim. 2.19. yea, and God's Gifts would not be foreign, without Repentance, Rom. 18.29. and Men would not be beloved according to the Election, v. 28. if God did not abſolutely purpoſe to give thoſe Means that are conditional in the Execution of the Decree (to wit, Faith and Perſeverance) to his Elected Ones, and if he ſhould not beſtow on them a Power and a Will to perform thoſe Conditions, hereupon the Covenant of Grace runs in this Tenure, I will be a God to you, and ye ſhall be a People unto me; that is, I will make you ſo.
Conſectaries.1. A Name writ in Heaven (where no Thief, no Ruſt, no Moth comes to deſtroy it) is better than to be enrolled in Metropolitan Corporations, or at Princely Courts, 'tis a Name better than of Sons and Daughters, a free Denizon of Heaven.
2. Though we be changeable Creatures, yet unchangeable Love is towards us, that keeps faſter hold of us than we of it.
3. 'Tis Infinite Condeſcenſion that the Great God ſhould hold a poor Lump of Clay ſo faſt in his Hands, John 10.28,29. as to ſecure our Intereſt to all Eternity, 1 Pet. 1.4,5.