SER M. of thefe Gifts of God, namely because VII. they are not moral Gifts or Graces to particular Perfons, but parts of the gene- my bim; modern Jews, to alledge that their Sins SER M. have prevented the coming of the Meffiah; VII. which was one of the original great Conftitutions of Providence, and a Promise of God not to be repented of. Laftly, GOD is unchangeable likewise in his Threatnings; that is to fay, in fuch Threatnings, as are not merely perfonal; For of Thofe I fhall have occafion to fpeak presently: But in his general Threatnings, as well as in his Promifes, God is, abfolutely unchangeable. The Reafon is, because, as his Love to Virtue and Goodnefs is unalterable, fo his Hatred to Vice is irreconcibleable; and also because these Threatnings are often Prophetick parts of the general Scheme of Providence. Thus in the cafe of Saul; though, upon his repenting in fome measure, the Prophet confented to honour him for the prefent before the Elders of his people; yet in the matter of the Kingdom as to the Time to come, the Threatning of God, being more a Prophecy of the great Counfels of Providence, than a personal Threatning to Him, could not be reverfed: 1 Sam. xv. 28. The Lord has rent the SER M. the Kingdom of Ifrael from thee this day, that is better than Thou; And also the Answer Answer that was given to good King SER M. Jofab; when, being grieved at thefe VII. Threatnings, he fent to inquire of the ·Lord; 2 Kings xxii. 15, Thus faith the Lord God of Ifrael, Tell the man that sent you, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof; But to the King himself-thus fhall ye fay; - Becaufe thine Heart was tender, and thou haft bumbled thy felf before the Lord, behold therefore I will gather Thee unto thy Fathers--in peace, and thine eyes Shall not fee all the Evil that I will bring upon this place. And the Account given of this matter in the following chapter, is no lefs remarkable: ch. xxiii. 25, and ch. xxiv. 4. Like him was there no King before him, that turned to the Lord with all bis Heart,--neither after him arofe there any like him; Notwithstanding, the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his Anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocation that Manasseh had provoked him withaland for the innocent blood that be fhed, which the Lord would not pardon. AGAINST SERM. AGAINST all that has been hitherto VII. faid, concerning the unchangeableness of God, there is One very obvious, and great Objection; drawn from those Texts of Scripture, which feem to speak of God in a very different manner from thofe already cited, and to represent him on the contrary as very frequently repenting and changing his Purpose. Thus 'tis recorded, Gen. vi. 5. that when God faw that the wickedness of man was great in the Earth,-it repented the Lord that be had made man on the Earth; and it grieved him at his Heart; and 1 Sam. xv. 35, that the Lord repented, that be bad made Saul King over Ifrael; and Num. xiv. 30, 34, concerning a whole generation of the people of Ifrael, Doubtless (faith he) ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I fware to make you dwell therein, and ye shall know my breach of promife, or (as it is better rendered in the margin) Ye shall know the Purpose: And Jer. xxvi. ways and your doings, will repent of the evil that nounced against you: And I altering of my 13. Amend your and the Lord he hath proJonah iii. 19. God |