A Beam of Divine Glory, Part 1 · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Wherein way is made to the Text; the Words thereof opened; the Foundation of our intended Diſcourſe laid, and the principal Matters to be conſidered, in the proſecution of it, hinted at.
IT is a great, as well as a true Obſervation, which I have read in a Learned Man; namely, That all the many various Attributes of God mentioned in the Scripture, are no other than his very Eſſence, Multae eſt varia Dei attributa ſunt ipſa Dei eſſentia, & Deo propter captum noſtrum tribuuntur, qui non poſſumus ſub uno nomine aut actu intellectus, quod de Deo percipiendum eſt, intelligere. Schar.and are aſcribed to him to help us in our Conceptions and Ʋnderſtandings of Him, who are not able to apprehend what may be known of God, under any one Name or Notion, or by any one Act of the Intellect. We read (you know) of his Power, his Wiſdom, his Holineſs, his Juſtice, his Goodneſs, his Faithfulneſs, his All-ſufficiency, and the like, all which are not diſtinguiſhed in him, either from himſelf, or from one another, but are all one and the ſame God revealed and manifeſted to us, under various notions, and that to help us the better to conceive and apprehend him, as alſo to perform our homage and worſhip to him; accordingly we may ſay, the Holineſs of God, is God; the Wiſdom of God, is God; the Power of God, is God; the Goodneſs of God, is God: And to come to my Text, the Unchangeableneſs of God, is God; and indeed the unchangeableneſs of God, is God manifeſted and revealed under a ſweet and bleſſed, as well as a glorious Notion to us, under ſuch a Notion as conduces-much to the quickning and incouraging of our Faith and Love, our Comfort and Obedience in him, and to him; and ſo indeed the Text repreſents it, I am the Lord, I change not, therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not conſumed: In which words we have two things to be noted.
1. Here is a Diſplay or Repreſentation of God in one Ray or Beam of his Divine Glory, and that is his Unchangeableneſs, I am the Lord, I change not; or, I the Lord am not changed: for it may be read either Actively or Paſſively, and the ſenſe will be the ſame: I change not, I am not alter'd or varied at all, what I was, I am; what I am, I ſtill ſhall be:Deus hic ſe tacitè mortalibus opponit et a ſe. Procul repellit omnem inconſtantiam. Calv. God here (as a judicious Expoſitor obſerves) tacitly oppoſes himſelf to mortal men, and removes and renounces all wavering and inconſtancy from himſelf. I change not; as if he ſhould have ſaid, Men die, but I live; men change, but I change not, I am ſtill the ſame.
2. Here is a Mention or Declaration of the bleſſed Fruit or Iſſue of this Glorious Perfection of God, in reference to his Church and People, and that is their preſervation from deſtruction: Therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not conſumed. Here two things muſt be enquired into; Firſt, Who are we to underſtand by the Sons of Jacob? And, ſecondly, What by their being not conſumed?
1. Who are we to underſtand by the Sons of Jacob? By the Sons of Jacob here we are to underſtand God's Profeſſing Church and People. We read in Scripture of the Houſe of Jacob, the Seed of Jacob, and the Sons of Jacob; by all which are meant, God's Church and People, whom he takes into Covenant with himſelf, and makes the Objects of his Love; and this will be evident, by comparing my Text with Cap. 1.2. where God ſayes expreſly, that he loved them; And again, I loved Jacob.
2. What are we to underſtand by their being not conſumed? It imports and carries in it theſe two things;
1. An Exemption from Temporal Ruine.
2. A Preſervation from Eternal Deſtruction.
1. An Exemption from Temporal Ruine: Therefore ye are not conſumed: that is, therefore you are not cut off from being a People; therefore you are not utterly broken by my Judgements; 'tis true, ſome afflictions you have had, yea great afflictions; but yet ſtill you live, ſtill you are a People, you are preſerved from utter ruine and deſtruction. And why ſo? Not becauſe you have not deſerved to be utterly cut off and deſtroyed, but becauſe I am unchangeable; I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not conſumed.
2. A Preſervation from Eternal Deſtruction; Therefore ye are not conſumed; that is, therefore you are not in Hell, therefore you are not under the eternal Revelations of my Wrath, which (alas!) is what you have deſerved: As if God ſhould ſay to them, True, you have had affliction, but (alas!) it has been nothing to the deſert of your ſin, your ſins have been many and great againſt me, ſuch as deſerved utter ruine, yea eternal deſtruction, an utter Conſumption both of Body and Soul for ever; and this had been your portion long ſince, had you not had to deal with an unchangeable God; not your deſert, but my unchangeableneſs is the ſole cauſe why you are not utterly and eternally deſtroyed.
In ſhort, the deſign of the whole was to upbraid them with their ſins, and particularly their ingratitude; and withall, to let them know, that the reaſon why it was not worſe with them than it was, yea, why they were not totally and eternally deſtroyed, was not becauſe they did not deſerve to have had it ſo, but becauſe their God was unchangeable: I am the Lord, I change not; therefore, &c. In which God ſeems thus to beſpeak them: You complain of me, and have hard thoughts of me, becauſe 'tis with you as it is, and I do not preſently ariſe for your help; but let me tell you, 'tis well for you, that 'tis not ten thouſand times worſe with you than it is; 'tis well you are a People; 'tis well you are not among the Damned; Sure I am, you highly deſerv'd to have had it ſo with you; you are a ſinful, ſinning, rebellious people, a people that have deſerved to be deſtroyed ten thouſand times over; I have done great things for you above any people, I have ſhewn you much love, but you have not walked ſutably and anſwerably to the great things I have done for you, nor the great love I have ſhewn to you: No, you have abuſed all, and ſinned againſt me under all, and that with an high hand, whereby you have deſerved to be utterly conſumed and deſtroyed; and indeed, had I not been an unchangeable God, conſumed and deſtroyed you had been long agoe; I ſee that in you, and among you, for which I might juſtly deſtroy you, and that for ever, and nothing but my own Unchangeableneſs keeps you alive; Should you therefore complain of me? Should you not rather admire at my patience and forbearance ſo long with you, and towards you? Truly 'tis a Miracle of Grace, Goodneſs, and Patience in me, that you have not been long ſince deſtroyed once for all. This I take to be the true ſcope and meaning of the Word; the ſum of which, together with the foundation of my intended Diſcourſe from them, I ſhall give you in this ſhort Poſition; Namely, That the Lord Jehovah is an unchangeable God; or how changeable ſoever the Creatures are, yet God the Lord changes not.
Whoever changes, I the Lord change not, I am alwayes and for ever the ſame. Now that God is unchangeable, wherein he is unchangeable, why, or whence 'tis that he is unchangeable, as alſo the vindication of his unchangeableneſs from all Cavils and Objections that ſeem to lye againſt it, with the practical improvement of all, are the principal matters that will fall under conſideration in the proſecution of this Argument; and I hope, by the aſſiſtance of God, we ſhall find ſome light, and much comfort and quickening in our going through them.