worse, he would not be perfect now: in either case he cannot be God. His very name, Jehovah, implies and supposes immutability.]
2. In his perfections —
[He ever was, and ever will be, the same holy, and just, and good, and merciful Being, that he now is. He was not more just, when he condemned the fallen angels; nor more merciful, when he sent his only-begotten Son into the world. In the one case he displayed his justice, and, in the other, his mercy, more than he had done before; but his perfections in either case remained the same. " He is a rock : his work is perfect ; for all his ways are judgment : a God of truth, and without iniquity; just and right is hea."]
3. In his purposes —
[Every thing is done agreeably to " his eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our LordV God is said indeed to have " repented that he had made manc," and that he had raised Saul to be kingd: he also revoked the sentence denounced against Nineveh e, and Hezekiahf: on these accounts he may be thought to have altered his original purpose : but he speaks only after the manner of men, who change their conduct in consequence of a change of mind : God knew from the beginning what he would dog: and the change was, not in his purposes, but in his dispensations according to his purpose^. .]
4. In his promises —
[" All the promises of God in Christ are yea, and amen i." If we ever imagine that they fail of their accomplishment, it is wholly owing to our own infirmity k. There is no foundation whatever for any such apprehension : for " his gifts and calling are without repentance1." We must distinguish indeed between the promises that are conditional, and those which are uncon- ditional : those which are conditional, are of no force, if the condition whereon they are suspended be not performed : and, in reference to those, God said to his people, " Ye shall know my breach of promise™." But the unconditional promises (such as that which says " the gates of hell shall never prevail against the Church11") are as firm as Omnipotence can make them: " heaven and earth shall pass away; but not a jot or tittle of God's word shall ever pass away0." In the day of judgment every believer will be constrained to confess, that,
a Deut. xxxii. 4. b Eph.i.ll. and iii. 11. c Gen. vi. 6.
d 2 Sam. xv. 35. e Jonah iii. 4, 10. f Isai. xxxviii. 1,5.
g Acts xv. 18. h Isai. xiv. 24, 27. and xlvi. 10.
1 2 Cor. i. 20. k Ps. lxxvii. 8, 10. l Rom. xi. 29.
m Numb. xiv. 30, 34. n Matt. xvi. 18. ° Luke xxi. 33.
1273.1 THE IMMUTABILITY OF GOD. Gli
" of all the good things which God had spoken concerning him, not one has failed p."]
Nor is this a merely speculative truth, but one in which our welfare is deeply involved. This will appear, if we consider, II. The benefit we derive from it —
To this alone can we ascribe it, that " we have not long since been consumed " —
[The Israelites in this respect were types of us. They were a stiff-necked people, that deserved, on ten thousand oc- casions, to be destroyed utterly. Moreover, if left to them- selves or to their enemies, they would again and again have been consumed. But God spared and preserved them for his word's sake. He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that in their seed should all nations be blessed ; and on that account, though he visited the Israelites with many judgments, he did not wholly destroy them. " He changed not ; therefore they were not consumed."
And what other reason can be assigned for our continuance on mercy's ground? Haveive never merited excision ? Search, and judge Have we no enemies, who would gladly exe- cute upon us the Divine judgments, if they could gain permis- sion ? What else do Satan and his hosts so earnestly desire ?