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Some have from thefe paffages attempt- SERM.

VII.

ed to deduce the doctrine of abfolute Predeftination; that because the Decrees and Purposes of God are unchangeable, therefore Mens Salvation, or Condemnation, does not at all depend on any Works in #their own Power. And indeed, were there any fuch Decree, it could not be denied but it would be unchangeable, and I confequently that All Religion were vain. But the Truth is, that the Scripture mentions no fuch Decree at all; and therefore men need not be concerned about the Unchangeableness of that which has no Being. The Decree of God, is not that This or That particular person shall neceffarily be faved or perish; (For then What Need, or what Ufe would there be of a day of Judgment?) But his Decree is, that Faith, and Obedience, in whomfoever it is found, fhall lead to Salvation; and Difobedience on the contrary, to Deftruction And This Decree, is indeed, like all his other Purposes, abfolutely unalterable.

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SERM. AGAIN, in his Laws likewife, that is, VII. in the uniform Intention of all his Commandments, God is perfectly unchangeable; because they are always founded on the fame immutable reasons, the eternal Differences of Good and Evil, the original nature of Things, and univerfal Equity; and they always tend to the fame regular End, the Order and Happiness of the whole Creation. Of This, the Law of Nature was the primary Inftitution ; the Law of Mofes, was the typical or figurative Representation; and the Gospel of Chrift, its completion or perfect Restoration. And this is the meaning of that paffage of the Apostle, Heb. xiii. 8, Jesus Chrift, the fame yesterday, and to day, and for ever. That this is here spoken, not of the Perfon, (though in That sense also it is true; but that it is here spoken, not of the Perfon) but of the Law of Christ, appears from the words immediately following, with which it is connected: Be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines; for Jefus Christ is the fame yesterday, and to day, and for ever; his Doctrine is, eternally and unchangeably,

One

One and the fame. The Gospel, faith the SER M. fame Apostle, Gal. iii. 8, was preached be- VII. fore unto Abraham: which Gospel, the Law that was given four hundred years after, could not difannul; but was added only because of Tranfgreffion, (that is, be

cause of the infirm and childish state of

the people of the Jews,) till the promised Seed Should come: till the more explicit declaration of that Faith, by which alone both Abraham and all good men from the beginning of the World were, as all good Chriftians fhall be even unto the End, uniformly justified; that is, by the everlafting Gofpel, Rev. xiv. 6. the eternal and unchangeable Law of God.

FURTHER; in his Covenants or Promifes; (fuch as are not declared to be conditional, and annexed to certain particular Qualifications,) God is likewife perfectly unchangeable. The Reafon is, becaufe Covenants or Promifes of this kind are founded upon fuch grounds as cannot be altered; even upon the original, fixt and permanent Defigns and Intentions of all-wife Providence. Thus, concerning the Promise made to Abraham; God, faith

the

SERM. the Apostle, Heb. vi. 13. because he couldVII. fwear by no greater, Jware by bimfelf; confirming it by an Oath, to show unto the Heirs of Promife the immutability of bis Counfel. The reafon of which unchangeable refolution was, because the giving that land to Abraham and to his Seed after him, included the Promise both of the temporal Jerufalem for an Habitation of the true Worshippers of God bere, and of the heavenly Jerufalem, wherein both Abrabam himself perfonally and all his spiritual Posterity were to be made happy hereafter. Of the fame Nature is That Declaration concerning all Ifrael, Num. xxiii. 19. God is not a man, that he fhould lye; neither the Son of Man, that be fhould repent: Hath he faid, and shall be not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall be not make it good? Behold, I have received commandment to blefs; and he hath bleffed, and I cannot reverfe it. The reafon of This, is, because it was a declaration of the whole Scheme of Providence in establishing a Standard of true Religion among that People; which was a matter not to be altered by any mens

future

future behaviour: It was one of those SER M. things, which God might justly, and with- VII. out wrong to any man, determine at first by his abfolute Supreme Power; (as in the cafe of Jacob and Efau, he declared, before either of them was born or had done either good or evil, that the Pofterity of the elder fhould ferve that of the younger; } and which Design afterwards, in the whole courfe of his Providence, he might continue to accomplish in the fame manner, however different men's behaviour might be under the feveral periods of That dif penfation. And This is the true Meaning of that other difficult Text in St Paul, Rom. xi. 28, 29. As concerning the Gospel, they (the Nation of the Jews) are Enemies for your fake; but as touching the election, they are beloved for the Fathers fakes; For the Gifts (these Gifts) and Calling of God are without Repentance. Some have applied Thefe words alfo to the doctrine of Predeftination: But their being fpoken expreffly of whole Nations, and not of fingle perfons, evidently demonftrates the contrary; and fhows at the fame time the reason of the immutability

of

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