Opening to believers the unchangeableness of God, as
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" of my heart, and my portion for ever." And so much of the third chamber prepared for believers in the name of their
God.
CHAP.
IX .
Opening to believers the unchangeableness of God, as a fourth chamber of refuge and rest in times of trouble.
Sett. I. IT is said, Prov. ix. 1. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out herfeven pillars, (i. e.) She hath raised her whole building upon solid and stable foundations; for, indeed, the strength of every building is according to the ground-work upon which it is erected.
Debilefundamentum fall it opus. The wisdom and love of God have built an house for a refuge and sanctuary to believers in tempestuous and evil times, containing many pleasant and comfortable chambers prepared for their lodgings, till the calamities be over-past; three of them have been already opened, viz. The power, wisdom, and faithfulness of God.
The last of which leads into a fourth, much like unto it, namely, the unchangeableness of God; wherein his people may find as much rest and comfort amidst the vicissitudes of this unstable world, as in any of the former.
This world is compared, Rev. xv. 2. to afea of glass mingled with fire. A sea for its turbulency and instability ; a sea of glass for the brittleness and frailty of everything in it; and a sea of glass mingled with fire, to represent the sharp sufferings and fiery trials, with which the saints are exercised here below.
The only support and confortwe have against the fickleness and instability of the creature, is the unchangeableness of God.
There is a twofold changeableness in the creature ; 1. Natural, the effect of fin.
2. Sinful in its own nature.
1. Natural, let in by the falluponallthe creation; by reason whereof the sweetest creature is but a fading flower, Psal. cii, 26.
Time, like a moth, frets out the best wrought garment with which we cloath and deck ourselves in this world, temporal i a rap it tempus.
Our most pleasant enjoyments, wives, children, estates, like the gourd in which Jonas so delighted himself, may wither in a night; fin rings these changes all the world over.
VOL . IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
2. Sinful, from the falseness, inconstancy, and deceitfulnes of the creature; Solomon puts a hard question which may pole the whole world to answer it, Prov. xx. 6. A faithful man who can find? The meaning is, a man of perfect and universal faithfulness is a phoenix, leldom or never to be found in this world; for when a question in scripture is moved and let fall again without any answer, then the sense is negative ; but tho' the believerdespairoffinding an unchangeable man, itishishappiness and comfort to find an unchangeableGod.
The unchangeableness of God will appear three ways.
1. By scripture emblems.
2. By scripture affertions.
3. By convincing arguments.
1. By scripture emblems.
Remarkable to this purpose is that place, Jam. i. 17. where God is called " the Fatheroflights,
" with whom isnovariableness, neithershadowofturning;" no variableness.
The word is, wαραλλαγή, an atronomical term, commonly applied to the heavenly bodies,which have theirpatallaxes, i. e. theirdeclinations, revolutions, vicissitudes, eclipses, increases and decreases : but God is a Sun that never rises nor sets, but is everlastingly andunchangeablyone and the same;with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning, τροπῆς ἀποσκίασμα.
The fun in its zenithcafts no shadow, it is the tropic, or turning of its course, that causes the shadow; the very fubitance of turning is with man; but not the least shadow of turning with
God. And in Deut. xxxii. 4. Moses tells us, God is a rock, and his work is perfect. And indeed perfectworkingnecessarily follows a perfect being. Now there is nothing found in nature more solid, fixed, and immutable than a rock; the firmest buildings will decay ; a few ages will make them a ruinous heap; but though one age pals away, and another comes, the rocks abide where and what they were; Our God is the rock of ages; and yet one step higher, in Zech. vi. 1. his decrees and purposes are called mountainsofbrass, that is, most firm, durable, and unchangeable purposes. Thus the immutabilityof
God is thadowed forth to us in scripture emblems.
2. The fame allo you will find in plain, positive scripture affertions ; such as these that follow, Mal. iii. 6. " I am the " Lord, I change not, therefore ye sons ofJacobare not con
" sumed." And Job. xxiii. 13. "He is in one mind, and who "can turn him ?" Men are in one mind today, and another to morrow; the winds are not more variable than the minds of men; but God is in one mind, the purposes of his heart never change.
Thou art the fame, or as some translate, Thou art thy
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
felfforever, Psal. cii. 27. Thus when Moses defiredto know his name, that he might tell Pharoah from whom he came ; the answer is, IAM hath sent me, Exod. iii. 14. not I not I was, or [ will be, but I AM THAT I AM, noting the absolute un changeableness of his nature.
3. The unchangeableness of God is fully proved by convincing arguments which divines commonly draw from such topics as these, viz.
1. The perfection of his goodness.
2. The purity of his nature.
3. The glory of his name.
Arg. 1. From the perfection of his goodness andblessedness, God is optimus maximus, the best and chiefest good, and in that sense, " There is nonegoodbut one, which is God," Mark
*. 18. From whence it is thus argued, If there be any change in God, that change must either be for the better, or for the worse, or into a state equal with that he possessed before.
But not for the better, for then he could not be the chief good; nor for the worse, for then he must cease to be God, the perfectionofwhosenature is perfectly exclusive of all defects ; nor into an equal stateofgoodness with that he possesledbefore ; that notion would involve Polytheism, and suppose two first and equal beings, besides the vanity of such a change would be absolutely repugnant to the wisdom of God.
Therefore with the Father of lights can be no variableness nor shadow of turning.
Arg. 2. The unchangeableness of God may be evinced from the purity, sincerity, anduncompoundedness of his being, in which there neither is, nor can be the least mixture, he being a pure act.
From whence it is thus argued; If there be any change in God, that change must be made either by something without himself; or by something within himself, or by both together.
But it cannot be by any thing without himself; for in him all created dependent beings live and move, and enjoy the beings they have ; and all the changes that are among them, are from the pleasure of this unchangeable Being, he changeth them, but it is not possible for him, upon whose pleasure they so entirely, and absolutely depend, both as to their beings and workings, to suffer any change himself from, or by them.
Nor cananysuch change be made upon God by any thing within himself; for that would suppose action and passion, movens et motum, a mixture and composition in his nature,
The Righteous Man's Refuge. which is absolutely rejected and excluded by the simplicity and purity thereof; seeing therefore it can neither be from any power without him, nor any mixture within him, there can be no change at all made on him .
Arg. 3. That is by no means to be ascribedtoGod, which, at once, eclipses the glory of his name, and overthrows the hopes and comforts of all his people.
But so would the supposition of mutability in God do, this would level him with the vain changeable creature ; whereas it
is a principal part of his glory, that" He is not am an that he " should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent,"
Numb. xxiii. 19.
This also would overthrow the hopes and comforts of all his people, which are built upon this attribute as upon their stable and solid foundation : Among divers others we find three principal privileges of the people of God, built upon his immutability, viz.
1. Their perseverance in grace.
2. Their comfort in the promises 3. Their hopes of eternal life.
1. Their perseverance in grace is built upon the foundation of God's unchangeableness; one main reason why Christians ne. ver repent of their choice of Christ, and the ways ofGodliness, is, because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance,
Rom. xi. 29. ShouldGodbutoncerepentofthegifts of his grace he hath bestowed on us, and alter in his love towards us, how soon would our love to God, and delight in God vanish, as the image in the glass doth,when the man that looked upon it hath once turned away his face ?
2. All their comfort in the promises is built upon God's unchangeableness .
The promises are the springs of consolation; should they fail and dry up, the whole world could not afford themonedropofspiritual comfort to refresh their thirsty souls ; the strength of our consolation immediately results from the stability and firmness of the scripture promises, Heb. vi. 18.
3. Their hope of eternal life depends upon the unchangeableness of God that hath promised, Tit. i. 2. "In hope of eternal
" life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began."
Take away then the immutability of God, and you at once darken and eclipse his glory, and overturn the perseverance, confolations, and hopes of all his people; but blessed be God these things are built upon firm foundations.
1. His nature is unchangeable, " Thou art the fame for ever,"
Psal. cii . 27.
The heavens though they be the purest, and therefore the most durable and unchangeable part of the crea
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
i tion; yet they shall perish and wax old, and be changed as a
vesture, but our God is the fame for ever.
2. His power is unchangeable, Ifa. lix. 1. " The Lord's hand " is not shortned."
Time will enfeeble the strongest creature, and cut short the power of the hands of the mighty, they cannot do in their decrepit age as they were wont to do in their youthful and vigorous age ; but the Lord's hand never is, nor can be shortned.
3. The counsels and purposes of his heart are unchangeable, Psal. xxxiii. 11. " The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever,
" the thoughts of his heart to all generations."
4. The goodness, truth, and mercy of God are unchangeable, Psal. c. 5. " The Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting,
" and his truth endureth to all generations."
5. The word of God is unchangeable.
Though all flesh be as grass, and the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field, yet the word of our God shall stand for ever; all the promises containedthereinare sure and stedfast : Not yea and nay, but yea and Amen for ever, 2 Cor. i. 20.
6. The love of God is an unchangeable love, Jer. xxxi. 3.
" Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love."
7. In a word, all the gracious pardons of God are unchangeable; as they are full without exceptions, so they are final pardons without any revocation. " I will be merciful to their un- " righteousness, and their iniquities and sins will I remember
" no more," Heb. viii. 12. And thus much briefly of God's unchangeableness absolutely considered in itself.
Sect. 11. Let us next consider, and briefly view the unchangeableness of God in its respect and relation,
1. To his promises.
2. To his providences, 1. The immutability ofGodgives down its comforts to be. lievers through the promises, there is no other way by which theycanhave a comfortable admission into this chamber or attribute of God ; and there are fix forts of promises in the word, by which it is highly improve able to their support and comfort in an evil day.
For, 1. The unchangeableGodhath engaged himself by promise to be with his people in all times, and in all straits, Heb. xiii.
5. " I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."
The life, joy and comfort ofa believer lies in the bosom of that promise, the conclusion of faith from thence is sweet and sure : If I shall never be forsaken of my God, let hell and earth do their worst, I gapneverbe miserable,
$50 The Righteous Man's Refuge.
2. The unchangeableGodhath promised to maintain their graces, and thereby his interest in them forever, Jer. xxxii. 40.
" And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that [ " will not turn away from them to do them good : But I will
" put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not turn away " from me."
Where the Lord undertakes for both parts in the covenant, his own and theirs: I will not turnawayfrom them?
Oh unexpreffible mercy ! Yea,but Lord, may the poor believers say,that is not so much my fear,as that my treacherous heart will turn away from thee. No, faith God, I will take care for that also: I will put my fear into thy heart, and, thou shalt never depart from me.
3.The unchangeableGodhath promised to establish the covenant with them for ever ; so that those who are once taken intothatgracious covenant thall never be turned out of it again,
Ifa. liv. 10. "The mountains shall depart, and the hills be re- " moved, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither
" shall the covenant of my peace be removed, faith the Lord " that hathmercyon thee."
4. The unchangeableGod hath secured his loving-kindness to his people, by promise under all the trials and smarting rods of affliction with which he chaftens them in this world; he hath reserved to himself the liberty ofafflicting them,but bound himselfbypromise never to remove his favourfrom them, Psal.
Ixxxix. 33, 34. " I will visit their transgression with the rod, " and their iniquity with stripes, nevertheless my loving-kind- " ness will I not take from them, nor suffer my faithfulness to " fail."
5. The promises of a joyful resurrection from the dead are grounded upon the immutability of God, Matth. xxii. 32. " I " am theGodofAbraham, the God ofIfaac, and theGodofJa- " cob; God is not the God of the dead, but theGodofthe
" living."
Death hath made a great change upon them, but none upon their God; though they be not, he is still the same: therefore they are not lost in death, but shall assuredly be found again in the resurrection.
6. To conclude, the promises of the saints eternal happinefswithGodinheavenare founded in his immutability, I Cor. i. 8, 9. Tit. i. 2. By all which you see what a pleasant lodging is prepared for the saints in theunchangeable promites of God, amidst all the changes and alterations here below.
2.Once more let us view the unchangeableness of God is. his providences towards his people, whatever changes it makes upon us, or whatever changes we seem to discern in it, nor
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
thingismorecertain than this, that it holdsoneandthefame tenor,purfuesoneand the samedesigninallthatit doth upon us, or about us.
Providences indeed are very variable, but the designs and ends of God in them all are invariable, and the fame for ever.
It is noted inEzek. i. 12. " That the wheels "went straight forward; whether the spirit was to go, they
"went, and they turned not when they went." As it is in nature, fo in providence, you have one day fair, halcyon, and bright, anotherdarkand full of storms ; one season hot, another
cold; but all these serve to one and the fame end and design to make the earth fruitful; and the aim of all providences is to make you holy and happy.
That is a sweet promise, Rom. viii. 28."All things shall work together for good to them that " love God."
This is the compass by which all providences steer their course, as a ship at sea doth by the chart : but more particularly let us note the unchangeablenessofGod in his providences of all kinds, effective and permissive, and fee in them all his unchangeable righteousness and goodness.
1. It must needs be to, considering the unchangeableness of his decree, 2 Tim. ii. ro. " The foundation of God standeth
" sure."
Providences serve,but never frustrate; execute, but cannot make void the decree, so that you may say of the most afflicting providences,as Daviddoth of the stormy winds,Psal. cxlviii. 8. They all fulfil his word.
2. The wisdom ofGodproves it; he will not faffer his works or permissions to clashwith his designs and purposes : Divine wisdom shews itself in the steddy direction of all things to the ultimate end.
To open this in some particulars, consider, 1. Doth the Lord permit wicked men to rage and insult, perfecuteandvexhis people ?
Yet all this while providence is in its right way, it walks in as direct a line to your good, as when it is in a more pleasant path of peace, Jer. xxiv. 5. " Thus faith
" the Lord, the God of Israel, like these good figs,so will 1ac- " knowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah,
"whom I have fentout of this place into the land of the Chal- " deans for their good."
Ifraelwas sent to Babylon for their good.
This improves your faith and patience, Rev. xiii. 10.
Here is the patience and faith of the saints. So Rom. v. 2, 3.
"By whom also we have access by faith into this grace,where- " in we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and not " only fo, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tri- " bulation worketh patience."
By this you are weaned from, and mortified to this world.
2. Doth the Lord in his providenceordermanyandfrequent
The Righteous Man's Refuge i close and smarting afflictions for you ? Why, lo! here is the same design managing as effectually, as if all the peace and prosperity in the world were ordered for you ; the face of pro. vidence indeed is not the fame, but the love of God is still the fame; he loves you as much when he smites, as when he smiles on you : for what are his ends in afflicting you, and what the sanctified fruits of your afflictions ? Is it not,
1. To purge your iniquities ? Ifa. xxvii. 9. " By this there- " fore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the " fruit to take away his fin."
2. To reduce your hearts to God ? Psal . cxix. 67. " Before " I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word."
3. To quicken you to your duties: Let the best man be without affictions, and he will quickly grow dull in the way of his duty.
3. Doth God let loose the chainofSatan to tempt and buffet you ? Yet is he still the same God to you as before ; for do but observe his ends in that permission, andyouwillfind, that, by these things, the Lord is leading you towards that desired assurance of his love which your souls long after.
Few Christians attain to any considerable settlement of foul, but by such shakings and combats , the end of these permissions is to put you to your knees, and blow up a greater flame andfervour of spirit in prayer, 2. Cor. xii. 8. So that, eventually, these permissions of providence prove singular advantages and blessings to you.
Sect. III. What remains then, seeing God isunchangeable in his love to his people, pursuing the great ends of all his gracious promises in a steddycourse of providence, wherein he will never effect, or permit any thing that is really repugnant to his own glory, or their good ; but that we enter also into this chamber of rest, shut the doors about us, and comfortably improve the unchangeableness of God, while we see nothing but changes and troubles here below.
(1.) Enter into God's unchangeableness by faith, take up your lodging in this sweet attribute also; and to encourage your faith thereunto, seriously confider a few particulars.
1. Confider how constant, firm and unchangeable God hath been to his people in all times and straits; not one among the many thousands of his people, that are passed on before you, but by frequent and certain experience have found him fo.
What a singular encouragement is this to our faithn the case before us ? Psal. ix. 10. " They that know thy name,
" will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, haft not forsaken them that seck thee."
So Ifa. xxv. 4. "Thou hast been a
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" strength to the poor, a strength to the needyinhis distress, " a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the *" blast of the terrible ones is as the storm against the wall."
Neither is there any thing in your experience contradictory to the encouraging reports others have made of God ; you must acknowledge, that notwithstanding your own changeableness, who have hardly been able to maintain your hearts in any spiritual frame towards God for one day together, yet his mercies towardsyouhave been new every morning, and great hath been his faithfulness. You have often turned aside from the way of your duty, and have not followed God in a steddy course of obedience ; and yet, for all that, his goodness and mercy have followed you all the days of your life, as it is Psal. xxiii. 6.
2. Confider how often you have doubted and mistrusted the unchangeableness of God, and been forced, with shame and sorrow, to retract your folly therein;God hath many times con vinced you, that his love to you is an unchangeable love, how many changes soever, in the courseofhisprovidence, have passed over you ; consult Ifa. xlix. 14. and Psal. lxxvii. 78. and fee how the cases are parallel, both in respect of God's constancy to them and you, and the inconstancy of his people's faith then, and yours now; your fears and doubts are the fame with theirs ; though his goodness and love have been as unchangeable to you, as ever it was to them.
3. Confider the advocates hip and intercessionofJesus Christ in heaven for you, by virtue whereof the favour and love of God becomes unalterable towards his people.
If any thing can be supposed to cool or quench the love of God towards you, ! nothing in the world is more like to do it than your fin; and this, indeed, is that which you fear will estrange and alienate the heart ofyourGodfrom you. But, reader, if thou be one that sincerely mournest for all the grief and dish on our of God by thy fin, applieft the blood of sprinkling to thy soul by faith, and makest mortification and watchfulness thy daily business ; comfort thyself against that fear from that fingularencouragement given thee in this case, I John ii. 1, 2. " My little children,
" these things write I unto you, that ye sin not; and ifanyman 66 fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our fins."
Look as the death of Christ healed the great breach betwixt God and thy soul, by thy reconciliation at first, so the powerful interceffionofChrist in heaven, effectually prevents all new breaches
VOL. IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge. betwixtGodandthy foul afterwards, fothathewillnever totally and finally cast thee off again.
(2.) Shut the door behind you against all objections, scruples,andquestionings of God's immutability, and, by a refolvedand steddy faith,maintain the honour of God in this point,by thyconftant adherence to it, and dependence upon it; and especially fee that thou give him the glory of his unchangeableness.
1. When thou shalt fee the greatest alterations and changes made by his providence in the world.
What though thou shouldst live to fee all things turned upside down, the foundations out of course, all things drawing into a sea of confusion and trouble? yet in the midst of those public distractions, and diftreisofnations, encourage thou thyself in this ; thy God, and his love to his people, is the fametor ever.
Psal.xlvi. 1, 2, 3.
4,5. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in " trouble; therefore will we not fear, thought he earth bemov- " ed, and the mountains be cast into the midst of the sea, God
" is in the midst of her, the shall not be moved."
2. Live by faith upon God's unchangeableness under the greatest changes of your own condition in this world. Providence may make great alterations upon all your outward com. forts, it may cast you down, how dear foeveryou be to God, from riches into poverty, from health into sickness, from honour into reproach, from liberty into bondage ; thou mayest overlive all thy comfortable relations, andofaNaomi become aMarah.
Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down, said as good a man as you, Plal. cii. 10.
Yet still it is your duty, and will be your great privilege in the midstofallthese changes, to act your faith upon the never-changing God, as that holy man did, Hab. iii.
17. " Although the fig-tree shall notbloffom, neither fruit be "in the vine; the labour of the olive shall fail; and the fields
" shall yield no meat ; the flocks shall be cut off from the fold, " and there shall be no herd in the stall ; yet will I rejoice in " the Lord, I will joy in the God ofmyfalvation ;" q. d. Suppose a thousand disappointments of my earthly hopes, yet will
I maintain my hope in God. OChristian ! with how many yets, notwithstandings, andneverthelesses, must thy faithbearup intimesoftrouble, or thou wilt fink.
3. See thou live upon God's unchangeableness, when age and flickness shall inform thee, that thy great change is at hand'; though thy heart and thy flesh fail, comfort thyself with this, thyGodwill never fail thee, Psal. Ixxiii. 16. " OGod (faith
" David) thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto ** have I declared thy wondrous works, now also when I am