A. The last judgment is called eternal judgment, not because God judged men from eternity, or because the day of judgment shall last to eternity ; but because the consequences of it will be everlasting joy or misery to the souls of men ; therefore it is called eternal judgment ; Heb. vi. 2.
Q. 7. What may wicked men learn from the eternity of God ?
A. Hence wicked men may see their own misery in the perfection of it ; that they will have an eternal enemy to avenge himself upon them for ever, in the world to come ; 2 Thess. i. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Xord.
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Q. 8. Wliat may good men learn from it ?
A. That their joy and happiness will be perfect and endless, who iiave the eternal God for their portion ; Psal. xvi. 11. In thy pre* sence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever- more.
Q. 9. What may all men, good and bad, learn from it ?
J. All men may learn three things from the eternity of God; Firsfy That their life is a thing of nought compared with God ; Psal. xxxix. 5. Mine age is as nothing before thee. Secondly^ That sins, or duties, long since committed, or performed, are all present before God. Thirdhj, That God can never want opportunity to do his work, and carry on his designs in the world. All time is in the hand of the eter- nal God; Rev. xii. 12. The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Cff God's Unchangeableness.
Quest. 1. T T HAT scriptures plainly assert this attribute.?
A. Exod. iii. 14. And God said unto Moses, I AM that I AIM. Dan. vi. 16. For he is the living God, and stedfast for ever; Jam. i. 17. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,
Q. % Whence doth God's immutability flow ?
A. The immutability of God flows from the perfection of his na- ture, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken away. If any thing could be added to make him better than he is ; or if any thing could be taken away, to make him less good than he is, then he were not the chiefest good, and, consequently, not God.
Q. 3. By what other argument prove you his immutability ?
A. I prove it from the eternity of God. If God be eternal, he must be immutable : for if he change by addition of sometliing to him he had not before, then there is something in God which he had not from eternity : And if he change by diminution, then there was some- thing in God from eternity, which now is not ; but from everlasting to everlasting he is the same God, and therefore changeth not.
Q. 4. But it is said, God repents, and repentance is a change : How then is he unchangeable, and yet repents ?
A. In these phrases God speaks to us, as we must speak of, and to him ; not properly, but after the manner of men : ^nd it only notes a change in his providence, not in his nature.
Q. 5. But how could God become man, and yet no change made on him ?
A, There is a twofold change ; one active, made by God, that we allow : He made a change upon our nature by uniting it to Christ ; but a passive change made upon God, we deny. The nature of man was made more excellent, but the divine nature was still the same.
150 AN EXrOSISION OF THE ASSEMBLY'S CATECHISIif*
Q. 6. What is the first instruction from God's immutability ?
A, That those that are most unchangeable in holiness, are most like God : Let him that is holy be holy still.
Q. 7. What is the second instruction hence ?
A, That the happiness of God's people is firm and sure, being still upon the word of an unchangeable God ; Mai. iii. 6. For I am the Lord ; I change not : therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, Heb. vi. 18.
Q. 8. What is the third instruction from this attribute ^
A. That the hopes of all -svicked men are vain, being built upon zt presumption, that God will not deal with them as he hath threat- ened he will do.
Q. 9. What is the last instruction from God's immutability ?
A. That Christians may take as much encouragement now from the nature, word, and providence of God, as the saints in any for- mer generation did, or might do ; for he is the same now he was then.
Quest. 1. How manifold is the wisdom of God ?
A. There is a personal and essential wisdom of God ; the personal wisdom is the Son of God ; 1 Cor. i. 24. Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God ; Col. ii. 3. In whom are hid all the trea- sures of wisdom and knowledge. The essential wisdom of God is the essence of God ; of which this question speaks.
Q. 2. What is the essential wisdom of God.
A. The essential wisdom of God is his most exact and perfect knowledge of himself and all his creatures, and his ordering and dis- posing them in the most convenient manner, to the glory of his own name; Eph. i. *11. According to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Q. S. What is the first property of God's wisdom ?
A. The first property is, he is only wise ; Rom. xvi. 27. To God, only wise, be glory : And whatsoever wisdom is in angels, or men, is all derived and borrowed from God, but his from none ; Isa. xL 14. With whom took he counsel ? and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding ?
Q. 4. What is the second property of God's wisdom ?
A. The second property is, that he is incomprehensible in his wis- dom ; Rom. xi. 33, 34. O the depth of the riches, both of the wis- dom and knowledge of God, &c.
Q. 5. What is the third property of the wisdom of God ?
A. The third property is, that Gbd is perfectly wise, which no creatures, no, not the very angels in heaven are : Job iv. 18. And his angels he chargeth with folly.
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Q. 6. What is the most glorious and eminent discovery of the wis- dom of God ?
A. The most glorious display of the wisdom of God, was in the work of our redemption by Jesus Christ ; Col. ii. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ; 1 Cor. i. 24. Christ the wisdom of God.
Q. 7. What is the first instruction from God's wisdom ?
A. The first instruction is, that God is a fit object of our trust, de- pendence and resignation ; Isa. xxx. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you ; and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you ; for the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for him.
Q. 8. What is the second instruction from hence ?
A. The second instruction is, that it is a dangerous arrogancy in the creature, either to prescribe unto God, and direct his Maker ; Job xxi. 22. Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing he judgeth those that are high ? Or to quarrel with his pi^ovidences, as not so fit and convenient as they should be ; Job xl. 2. Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him ? He that reproveth God, let him answer it.