A Complete Body of Divinity, Sermons · 20 (Question 4 cont.)
SERMON XX.
3. GOD is Unchangeable. This is the laſt of the Divine qualities mentioned in the Deſcription: In clearing up of this Attribute, we may firſt enquire into the Nature of it, and then give the evidence that God is Immutable. Of God's Unchangableneſs take this Deſcription: It is God without any poſſibility of any kind of change: It is that whereby God is ever the ſame that he ever was. Things may be ſaid to be mutable in diverſe reſpects: and all theſe are to be removed from our conceptions of God: Mutable things are ſo either in outward or inward reſpects, Extrinſecally, or Intrinſically.
1. EXTRINSECALLY; And here the more obſervable Changes, are either in relation to time or place; thoſe things that have time go over them are changed, for time it ſelf makes an outward change in them; and a motion from place to place is a change external, neither of thoſe can be aſcribed to God; and therefore upon the …er account he is Eternal, on the latter he is Infinite; theſe belong to the Attribute already conſidered.
2. INTRINSECALLY; And that is referrible to the Being, and eſſential perfections of the thing; in which it is more properly ſaid to change, and theſe are the things that this Attribute is peculiarly predicated of which now come under our conſideration.
1. UNCHANGABLENESS is God; This alſo is …ne of thoſe Incommunicable properties, which the Creatures ſhare not with him i…, a title which is, Prerogative belonging alone to the firſt being … is a flower of his Crown: Examine all ſecond beings, and they are the ſubjects of Change; not to mention the Creatures here below, which are every day changing faces and habits; the very C…leſtſal bodies, the heavens and thoſe great lights there, time & change do rule them: Heathen Philoſophers thought them Immutable, as being Incorruptible; but the Scripture contradicts them, and herein makes it appear that they are not God; Pſal. 102.25, 26. Of old haſt th…u laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They ſhall periſh, but thou ſhalt endure. Abſolute Immutability cannot truly & properly be predicated of any other being whatſoever, but appertains to him alone.
2. He is God without any poſſibility of Change: He not only actually changeth not; but it is impoſſible that he ſhould. It may in a ſenſe be ſaid of the third Heavens, that they do not actually change, tho' they have changed, and have a ſucceſſion, yet being conſtant natures, they are the ſame they were in the firſt moment of their Creation, eſſentially; yet there is a paſſive power in them, they may receive impreſſions from his hand who made them: but there is no ſuch thing in God, Pſal. 102.27. Thou art the ſame.— This Attribute is fully aſſerted, Jam. 1.17. — The Father of lights, with wh…m there is no variableneſs, neither ſhadow of turning. There are two expreſſions uſed to illuſtrate it: no variation, the word is uſed to expreſs the Sun's variation or change of place, every day, in paſſing thro' the Signs in the Zodiack; God is called a Sun in Pſal. 84.11. But he keeps the ſame place, never varies: and no ſhadow of turning; the firſt lines of a Picture are called it's ſhadow, by ſhadows we underſtand the leaſt appearance or rude draught of ſuch a thing: the word turning alſo alludes to the Sun, and either points at his turning about every day, paſſing out of one Hemiſphere into another, and ſo conſtantly rolling about the earth; or to his Summer and Winter Tropicks; it is ſometimes going to one, and then back again to the other: the Father of lights hath no ſuch turning, nor ſo much as a reſemblance of it, but is ſtedfaſtly immutable.
NOW whatſoever is in God, is God, and hence he is all Eſſence: yet for our more diſtinct apprehenſions of him; we may conſider him, either as to his being, or his faculties, and take notice how he is unchangable in each of them.
1. IN his Being or Eſſence be is Immutable: In his being he is God, and thence he argues his own Unchangableneſs, Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not. To be God, and to be changable is a contradiction: If the being of God were capable of a Change, it muſt be either, from not being to being, and then there muſt have been a time when he was not, which his Eternity contradicts, and is inconſiſtent with his abſal… being: or from being to not being, by … of annihilation, which cannot ſtand with … Eternity, which is as much without end as beginning; and muſt alſo be ſuppoſed to be either from himſelf, or from ſome other Agent; not from himſelf, becauſe he wills his own being & glory, not from another, for it muſt be a more powerfull than he; whereas all ſecond beings are to him nothing and leſs than nothing and vanity; or from this ſort of being to anoth…, which is equally impoſſible; for it muſt be either to a more perfect being, and that he cannot, becauſe his being is abſolutely perfect, it comprizeth all ſorts of perfections moſt perfectly & eminently in it; or to a more imperfect, and then he would ceaſe to be God, for to be God, and to be imperfect, is a contradiction: or by ſome alteration in ſome properties, or qualities, which alſo cannot be, by reaſon of his ſimplicity, for being without any compoſition, there can be no potentiality in him of being other than he is: Change in the Eſſence of a thing implies a paſſive power; but it is contrary to Divine ſimplicity to have ſuch a power: His name, I am what I am, clearly teacheth his Immutability; all Eſſential Changes are reduced to the heads, either of Creation & Annihilation, or Generation and Corruption, or Augmentation & Diminution, or Alteration of Qualities: and becauſe none of theſe do or can touch the firſt being, he muſt therefore needs be eſſentially Unchangable.
2. IN his Faculties: For tho' the Divine Simplicity aſſures us that there is no faculty in God really diſtinct from his Eſſence; yet in our Conception we muſt diſtinguiſh: God therefore is pleaſed to ſpeak of himſelf to us, as having an Underſtanding, a Will, and Affections now, becauſe theſe are all himſelf; hence this Immutability is ſo predicated of them, and may be evidenced concerning each of them.
(1.) IN his Underſtanding. This is ſaid to be Infinite, (Pſal. 147.5.) and if ſo it muſt needs be Unchangable: there are no degrees in that which is infinite, more it cannot be, for nothing can be greater; nor leſs, for then it ſhould not be infinite: Infiniteneſs is an abſolute perfection, beyond which there are none. If God's Underſtanding were changable, it muſt be either by encreaſe or loſs; but by neither, not by loſs for what can poſſibly impair that glorious faculty of his, or blot out, and make him to forget thoſe eternal Ideas! not by encreaſe, for that muſt be either by a knowledge of more things, or a better knowledge of the ſame things; but neither; for this muſt be either referring to himſelf and his own Nature & Perfections, or to other things relating to the Creature; both of which are impoſſible: For,
1. IN reſpect of himſelf, there have no Changes paſt upon his Eſſence, but it is the ſame it was: and how ſhould not he who hath known himſelf from all Eternity, be throughly acquainted with all his Perfections: and if his knowledge be himſelf, as hath been evidenced, how could it ever graſp in any thing leſs than the whole latitude of his Infinite Being?
2. IN reſpect of other things. The Scripture ſcribes to him a foreknowledge, Rom. 8.29. —Whom he did foreknow.—Acts 2 23. This is, in our Conception, that Idea which God had in his vaſt Underſtanding from Eternity of all ſecond beings, and all that did concern them, or of the whole Affair of Creation and Providence, to the very death of a poor Sparrow, and numbering of the hairs of our heads, according to which, without the leaſt variation, all things do come to paſs in their appointed time and manner, ſo that there is nothing new or caſual to him; all things muſt be as he will: His Science comprehends all poſſibilities, and as well what are not, nor ever ſhall be, as what have a being in their Seaſon: his Preſcience underſtands his own Purpoſes which cut the hair between meer poſſibilities & futurities, for he doth all things, and that according to the Counſel of his Will, Eph. 1.11. So that either he muſt alter his intentions, or ſome things muſt fall out otherwiſe than ever he thought of, or his knowledge of them muſt be fixt and full: for he is no ſtranger to his own thoughts (Jer. 29.11.) the latter of theſe cannot be, becauſe of the Creatures abſolute dependency, Acts 17.28. For in him we live, and move, and have our being. Nor the former, For,
(2.) IN his Will be is alſo Unchangable: The Will in Man is a faculty, whereby he doth freely make his own choice, and determine of his own Actions: accordingly the Scripture aſſigns a Will to God, by which he hath conſulted, reſolved & decreed about all his works of Efficiency, under which are comprized all things that come to paſs in time; that there is ſuch a Will of his that hath ſo decreed, is fully aſſerted in his word, and neceſſary from the conſideration of his nature. That this Will of his is Unchangable, appears not only becauſe it is himſelf, and differs in our conceptions, only modally from his Eſſence; but if we conſider, that God is the higheſt Cauſe by Counſel of his own Actions: hence this Will of his determines nothing, but upon a ſure and unalterable Principle: all the reaſons why men alter their purpoſes at any time, are incompatible to him, as may be exemplified; that which makes a man to change his reſolves, is either unſtableneſs, conviction or compulſion, but there is nothing of theſe influential upon God.
1. NOT inſtability in himſelf. That which makes men to be off and on, now for a thing, and preſently againſt it, is a fluctuating, unſtable mind, and proceeds partly from a great deal of ignorance of the mind, partly from the mobility of the Affections, neither of which can be imputed to him: the irreſolute man doth not know his own mind, but God doth his, Jer. 29.11. I know the thoughts that I think towards you—.
2. NOT conviction of any thing not foreſeen, which ſhould give him reaſon to alter his mind: for God had at one ſight the intuition of all that coul concern the matter; his ends were the moſt eligible, the means the moſt wiſe; there was no precipitancy, no overſight or error in any of them; there is no intervening accident that can alter theſe reaſons, which he did not underſtand and caution againſt, when he thus determined.
3. NOT Compulſion. His hand can never be ſo weak, as not to be able to bring about what his Will hath decreed: he can never be put upon it to take new meaſures for want of ability to carry any thing through, which ſuted his pleaſure; for he can do any manner of thing, and doth always what pleaſeth him, Pſal. 115.3. But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatſoever he pleaſed. As he hath no dependance on any Inſtruments to fulfill his purpoſes, ſo much leſs can he be put by, or obſtructed in any thing that he doth ſo intend, Iſa. 14.26, 27.—For the Lord of hoſts, hath purpoſed, and who ſhall diſanul it? and his hand is ſtretched out, and who ſhall turn it back?
3. IN his Affections. God is pleaſed to aſſume to himſelf Affections, as love, hatred, deſire, loathing, delight, anger, &c. theſe alſo ſo far as we conceive them to belong to God are Unchangable; and for this reaſon we find that God cannot repent, (Numb. 23.19) 1 Sam. 15.29. And alſo the ſtrength of Iſrael will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man that he ſhould repent. Now Repentance in propriety of ſpeech, is a change upon the Affections: hence when Chriſt loveth one, he loves to the end. Rational Affections are poſtures of the will to an Object: Affections in God are nothing elſe but the reſpect of his decreeing Will to the Creature, and becauſe his Will is unalterable, therefore theſe change not. Nor doth this Unchangableneſs in God's Will deſtroy the freedom or liberty of it; it is no contradiction to ſay that God is free to do as he will, and yet is Immutable in his Decrees; for God willed all theſe things from Eternity, becauſe all pleaſed him, and having ſo willed he can never be again diſſatisfied at his own Will, becauſe the reaſons upon which he ſo determined ſtand forever: he is therefore ſaid to be of one mind, Job. 23.13. Nor doth it argue a change in his Will, becauſe he hath commended one thing and propoſed another; his command ſaith what ſhould be, his purpoſe what ſhall be; God's willing the act of Adam's eating the forbidden fruit, & his willing it to be Adam's duty not to eat it, ſhew nothing of two wills, for both of theſe are concurring media to the ſame end. And whereas God ſeems to promiſe and not perform, to threaten and not execute; this rightly underſtood makes no Argument to prove him Changable: he himſelf gives us a Clue through this Labyrinth, Jer. 18.7,—11. At what inſtant I ſhall ſpeak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to deſtroy it: If that nation againſt whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.—God diſpenſeth his abſolute purpoſes to his Creatures, under conditionate promiſes and threatenings. Finally, when God is ſaid in Scripture, to Repent, it is accommodated to humane language, it intends only a Change in his Providences, not in his Will; in the Creature, and not in God: He decreed Unchangably, all the Changes that go over the World: And this tells us, that an Unchangable God, can, without any alteration in himſelf, bring about all the Viciſſitudes that paſs upon the mutable Creature: when men alter their carriages, it is becauſe they do repent, and therefore God is ſaid to repent, when he doth ſo, tho' he doth in it what he eternally intended to do.
USE 1. THIS ſhews us what a glorious Object GOD is, for the Souls of Men to confide in: what a happineſs it is for any to have this God for their portion; the vaſt difference between God and the Creature in point of truſt. The very firſt reaſon which the wiſe Man gives, why the Creature is a vain Object, and not to be confided in, is becauſe of its Chang…bleneſs, Eccl. 1.4. This caſts diſparagement upon the beſt of them: if we confide in riches, they have Eagle's wings, &c. if in honours, they are ſlippery places; if in pleaſures, that which is delightſome to day, is tedious to morrow; if in friends, they love and hate upon every turn; but God is ever the ſame, and that Unchangably: his other Attributes will tell us how great a portion, and how full of good he is: this added to them, ſaith he is a ſafe portion; there is no danger in truſting in him; none ever did ſo that were put to ſhame: many have come away aſhamed from other Objects, none ever from him.
USE 2. HENCE it muſt needs be a fearfull thing to fall under the wrath of this God. This Attribute ſpeaks ſadly to all thoſe, that neglecting to improve the day of his Grace, do pull upon themſelves the day of his Vengeance. God hath declared to us in his word, that he will certainly deſtroy all ſuch as accept not of his offered grace in the day of it; and wo to them that run the adventure of this hazard. God adds the conſideration of this Attribute, as well to confirm his Menaces as his Promiſes, 1 Sam. 15.29. God hath reſolved that all ſuch ſhall periſh, and he will never be of another mind; prayers, tears, ſupplications, interceſſions, will not profit, or move him at all, who is inexorable: The plagues therefore of impenitent Sinners muſt needs be Everlaſting.
USE 3. WE here ſee the ground of the Saints Perſeverance; or the Reaſon why God's People can never fall from Grace, or loſe the title to Glory beſtowed on them in the New-Covenant: It is becauſe the Unchangable God hath undertaken for them, and ſtands engaged to them: His Unchangable love is ſet upon them; his Unchangable word is paſt unto them: his ſure & ſtedfaſt Covenant is plighted with them. They are Creatures, and ſo mutable, their grace in it ſelf might ceaſe, their reſolutions alter; but his Immutable Aſſiſtance can never fail. He hath ſaid, he will never leave nor forſake them: there might be reaſon eno' in them for him ſo to do; but there is this reaſon grounded in his Nature, which forbids him; He hath ſworn in truth, and he cannot go from it, (Mal. 3.6.) if they do not believe, yet he is faithful, if they do not pray, yet he cannot forget them. Till it can be made appear that God is Changable, it will never be proved that a Beleever can fall away ſo as to loſe the Inheritance.
USE 4. LET this then be the encouragement of God's people in a world of Change: Live upon this Attribute; it is enough to keep up your ſpirits and ſtrengthen you with patience to run that weary and difficult race that you are called unto. It is true, you meet with many Changes among Creatures; yea, there is nothing here, but what is Changable; you are toſſed up and down from one change to another, changes of eſtates, changes of affections, changes of troubles, mutation in all; and if here were all you had to truſt to, you were very unhappy: but yet faint not, not be weary, for in all theſe you have an Unchangable God to ſtand by you: get your faith then well eſtabliſhed on this Attribute, bel…eve God to be ſuch an one. One great reaſon why God's People are ſo turmoiled & toſt in their minds; and cannot ſettle as they ought, in their truſting upon God, is, becauſe they ſee all other things rolling in their! Viciſſitudes, and ſuſpect that he will do ſo too. H…bakkuk's triumphant faith was built upon this Attribute, which made him take that Heroick reſolve, Chap. 3.17, 18. Although the fog-tree… ſhall … bloſſom, …enher ſhall ſruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive ſhall fail, and the fields ſhall yield no meat, the ſtock ſhall be on off from the ſold, and th…e ſhall the no herd in the ſtalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God if my ſalvation. And could you thus do; tho the Seas roar, and the waves rife and roll, and Mountains themſelves come tumbling down, yet the Rock on which you are bulk being immovable, you might sit still and clap your hands, and ſay, this God is our God forever, and he will be our guide unto Death, and our portion in Etersity.
[JULY 16. 1689.]