There is also an ambiguity in that expression, "That God expresseth himself this day towards a man or woman that he really intends to save them, and on the morrow expresseth himself to the contrary." If our author intend only God's moral approbation of duties and performances, as was said before, with the conditional approbation of persons with respect to them, there being therein no declaration
136 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
of any intention or purpose of God properly so called, the instance is not in the least looking towards the business we have in hand. But if withal he intend the purposes and intentions of the will of God, as these terms, " really intend" and " verily intend," do import, I know not what to call or account alteration and change if this be not. Surel}' if a man like ourselves do really intend one thing one day, and verily intend the clean contrary the next day, we may make bold to think and say he is changeable; and what apology will be found, on such a supposal, for the immutability of God doth not fall within the compass of my narrow apprehension. Neither is that par- enthetical expression, of a change imagined in the persons concern- ing whom God's intentions are, any plea for his chaDgeableness upon this supposal; for he either foresaw that change in them or he did not. If he did not, where is his prescience? yea, where is his deity? If he did, to what end did he really and verily intend and purpose to do so and so for a man, when at the same instant he knew the man would so behave himself as he should never accomplish any such intention towards him? We should be wary how we ascribe such lubricous thoughts to worms of the earth like ourselves; "but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall enti'eat for him?" If one should really and verily intend or purpose to give a man bread to eat to-morrow, who he knows infallibly will be put to death to-night, such an one will not, perhaps, be counted changeable, but he will scarce escape being esteemed a changeling. Yet it seems it must be granted that God verily and really intends to do so and so for men, if they be in such and such a condition, which he verily and really knows they will not be in ! But suppose all this might be granted, what is it at all to the argument in hand concerning the Lord's eno-aoino; his immutability to his saints, to secure them from perishing upon the account thereof? Either prove that God doth change, which he saith he doth not, or that the saints may perish though he change not, which he affirms they cannot, or you speak not to the business in hand.
The 41st section contains a discourse too long to be transcrib- ed, unless it were more to the purpose in hand than it is. I shall, therefore, briefly give the reader a taste of some paralogisms that run from one end of it to the other, and then, in particular, roll away every stone that seems to be of any weight for the detaining captive the truth in whose vindication we are engaged : —
First, From the beginning to the ending of the whole discourse the thing in question is immodestly begged, and many inferences made upon a supposal tliat believers may become impenitent apostates; which,being the sole thing under debate, ought not in itself to be taken as granted, and so made a proof of itself It is by us asserted tliat those who are once freely accepted of God in Christ shall not be so for- saken as to become impenitent apostates, and that upon the account
II.] THE IMMUTABILITY OF THE DIVINE NATURE. 137
of the immutability of God, which he hath engaged to give assurance thereof. To evince the falsity of this, it is nmeli pressed that if they become impenitent apostates, God, without the least shadow of mutability, may cast them off and condemn them ; which is a kind of reasoning that will scarce conclude to the understanding of an intelligent reader. And yet this sandy foundation is thought suffi- cient to bear up many rhetorical expressions concerning the change- ableness of God, in respect of sundry of his attributes, if he should not destroy such impenitent apostates as it is splendidly supposed believers may be. " O fama ingens, ingentior armis vir Trojane." This way of disputing will scarce succeed you in this great under- taking.
The second scene of this discourse is a gross confounding of God's legal or moral approbation of duties, and conditional [approbation] of persons in reference to them (which is not love properly so called, but a mere declaration of God's approving the thing which he commands and requii'es), with the will of God's purpose and intention, and actual acceptation of the persons of believers in Jesus Christ, suited there- imto. Hence are all the comparisons used between God and a judge in his love, and the exjoress denial that God's love is fixed on any materially, — that is, on the persons of any, for that is the intend- ment of it, — but orAy formally, in reference to their qualifications. Hence, also, is that instance again and again insisted on, in this and the former section, of the love of God to the fallen angels whilst they stood in their obedience. Their obedience, no doubt (if any they actually yielded), fell under the approbation of God; but that it was the purpose and intention of God to continue and preserve them in that obedience cannot be asserted without ascribing to him more palpable mutability than can fall upon a wise and knowing man.