VII. God faw their works, that they turned from SER M. their evil way; and God repented of the Evil that he had faid he would do unto them, and he did it not. These paffages I fay) may at first fight seem to be a very ftrong Objection, against what has been before laid down concerning the Unchangeableness of God in all his Purposes. But the Anfwer likewise, from what has been before faid, is plain and obvious. Thofe Declarations of the Defigns and Purposes of God, which are Prophetick of the great Events of Providence, are in themselves abfolutely fix'd and unalterable; because the Wisdom of God could not poffibly be deceived, in the original Defign and Intention of appointing them: But these Promises and Threatnings, which are merely perfonal, either to any particular man, or to any Number of men, are always conditional; because the Wisdom of God thought fit to make These depend on the Behaviour of Men; and the Immutability of God with regard to Thefe, does not confift in the unalterableness of the Things themselves, but in the unchangeableness of the Condition upon which they are to be performed. VOL. I. M The VII. SER M. The Rule, is univerfal and unchangeable; Jer. xviii. 7, At what inftant I fhall Speak concerning a Nation, —— -to pull down and to destroy it; if that nation-turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them: And at what inftant I fhall Speak concerning a Nation, -to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my fight,- then I will repent of the good, wherewith I faid I would benefit them. The Expreffions, of God's repenting, grieving, and the like; are only f gurative, in condefcenfion to the weaknefs of our Apprehenfions; fignifying, not any Change in God himself, but only a Difference of the Event with regard to Us. God's Affection towards Good or Evil, towards Virtue or Vice, is therefore uniform and unchangeable; because his Promises and Threatnings invariably follow thefe Difpofitions, through all the Changes of mens perfonal behaviour. Thus Good Parents and Princes, without any Change in Themfelves, encourage or difcourage their refpective children, or fubjects, according as They change their behaviour for the better or the worfe. Thus Thus Laws themfelves, which can have SER M. no Affection, nor Change of Affection, to- VII. wards one perfon or another; yet vary their Effect, themselves remaining unvaried; and bring rewards or punishments, according to the different behaviour of the perfon upon whom they are executed. The only difference in This cafe, is; that Laws made by the best human Wisdom, can take no notice of the Repentance of great Malefactors in the cafe of capital Crimes; because 'tis impoffible for human Wifdom to difcern when fuch Repentance is fincere, and confequently 'tis altogether unfafe to truft to any pretences of That kind: But God who fees the inmoft Difpofitions of Mens Hearts, judges always according to the reality of thofe Difpofitions, and difpenfes his Rewards or Punifhments accordingly. And in This, he acts uniformly, without Change or Variation. As the fame Fire, with one unvaried Action, confumes combustible matter, but purifies and refines Gold; and the fame Sun, with one continual Heat, melts one fort of Bodies, and hardens another; fo God, without M 2 any SER M. any change or alteration in himself, puVII. nifhes the wicked when they fo continue, and shows compaffion towards the fame perfons when they become truly and fincerely penitent. II. THE Uses of this Difcourse, by way of Application, concerning the Immutability of God, are briefly as follows. Ift, THE Unchangeableness of God's natural Perfections, and the Promife of Him to whom those Perfections fo invariably belong; is to good men at all times the greatest poffible fecurity, that they fhall not finally fail to be Happy. When the World, and all things that are therein, fhall fail; the Power of God, his Wifdom, his Goodness, his Love of Virtue, are Perfections which can never fail in themfelves; and his Promife fecures the Application of them to Us; if we continue to live in obedience to his Commands. Heb. vi. 13, 17. When God made Promife to Abraham; because he could fwear by no greater, he fware by himself; Wherein God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of Promife the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it with an Oath; That by VII. by two immutable things, in which it was SERM. Therefore 2dly, THE Threatnings of him whose nature and perfections are unchangeable, ought to be a perpetual Terror to impenitent Sinners. He will by no means clear the Guilty, nor can by any application be reconciled to Sin. No Bribe, no Force, no Artifice, no Interceffion, no length of M 3 Time, |