all things after the counsel of his own willm." These are strong expressions, I confess : but they are the declarations of God himself; and they reflect the strongest light on the sub- ject we are now considering. For God is an unchangeable Being; as he has said: " I the Lord change not"."
That there have been occasions on which he has been said to " repent," I acknowledge : for we are told that he " re- pented he had made man0:" as also, "that he had raised Eli to the priestly office p ;" and, that he had made Saul king over Israeli. On one occasion, God himself says, to those whom, after having brought them out from Egypt, he had determined to exclude from the promised land, "Ye shall know my breach of promise1." But we must distinguish between his purposes and his dispensations. His dispensations he may, and does, change : but he changes them agreeably to his eternal purpose, which was, to continue his favour to his people, whilst they should walk worthy of it; and to withdraw it from them, when they should have so abused it, as to render any longer forbearance on his part injurious to the honour of his moral government. But in himself " there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning8 :" " nor will he ever forsake his people, for his great name's sake ; because it hath pleased him to make them his people*." " Whom he loveth, he will love unto the endu :" and of those whom he hath given to his Son, he will suffer " not so much as one to be lost, or ever to be plucked out of his hand*."
But let us more particularly mark this truth,]
2. As bearing upon the point immediately before
us —
[The Prophet Micah marks with very peculiar accuracy the distinction between God's favour as promised to Abraham, and as conferred on Jacob. To Abraham it was altogether "mercy ;" because it was promised by God to him and his seed freely : but to Jacob it was " truth" because it was an accom- plishment of the promise previously made : " Thou wilt per- form the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of oldy."
Now the promises made to Abraham, and his believing seed, were all ratified with an oath, and confirmed with an everlast- ing covenant2: and God gave this double assurance for the more abundant consolation of his people ; as the Apostle
m Eph. i. 11. n Mai. iii. 6. ° Gen. vi. 6.
p 1 Sam. ii. 30. 9 1 Sam. xv. 11, 28, 29.
1 Num. xiv. 34. s Jam. i. 17. x 1 Sam. xii. 22.
" John xiii. 1. x John xvii. 11, 12. and x. 28, 29.
y Mic. vii. 20. z Heb. vi. 13, 14.
VOL. xv. G G