This purpose of God speaks our stability and certainty of salvation in Christ: when God once purposeth, it is past altering: Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed (saith God) so shall it stand; 1you may write upon it that Gods purposes are immutable. Would not Paul lightly alter purposes taken up by him; when I therefore was thus minded (saith he) did I use lightness? or the thing that I purpose, 2do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay? would not Paul (I say) alter his purpose? and will God think you alter his? methinks this word speaks to me, as if I heard God say from all eternity, it is my purpose to save a remnant of mankind; though all are lost by sin, yet my wisdom hath found out a way to choose out some; and though those some, those few I have purposed to save, stand in very slippery places, yet I will be the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 3I foresee indeed many thousands of failings and exasperations, to alter the purpose that I have towards my people, I foresee their daily provocations of my justice; I foresee their many lusts within, and their many enemies without; I foresee that grace inherent I will give them to be as mutable to all the progeny as in their father Adam; and if I leave them in the hands of their own counsel, they cannot but depart daily from me, even as water, though it could be made as hot as fire, yet being left unto it self, it will quickly reduce, & work it self to its own original coldness again: I foresee them in their best condition, at full Sea, at their highest tide of grace, to be as changeable and movable several ways as wheels; to be as perplexed, hindered, and distracted in themselves, as cross wheels in one another; grace swaying one way, and flesh another way, and what stability can I think in such? why yet (says God) yet I purpose to bring this little flock to heaven; my purpose is in, and from my self; and I am God and not man, and therefore I cannot repent, nor call in the purpose which now I have; have I said, and shall not I do it? have I spoken, 4and shall I not make it good? yes, yes, my purposes must stand, and for this purpose I will set my Son betwixt my people and my self; so that if they sin, I will look on him, and by that means I will see no iniquity in Jacob, nor transgression in Israel;
This purpose of God speaks our stability and certainty of salvation in Christ: when God once purposeth, it is past altering: Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed (saith God) so shall it stand; 1you may write upon it that Gods purposes are immutable. Would not Paul lightly alter purposes taken up by him; when I therefore was thus minded (saith he) did I use lightness? or the thing that I purpose, 2do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea, yea, and nay, nay? would not Paul (I say) alter his purpose? and will God think you alter his? methinks this word speaks to me, as if I heard God say from all eternity, it is my purpose to save a remnant of mankind; though all are lost by sin, yet my wisdom hath found out a way to choose out some; and though those some, those few I have purposed to save, stand in very slippery places, yet I will be the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 3I foresee indeed many thousands of failings and exasperations, to alter the purpose that I have towards my people, I foresee their daily provocations of my justice; I foresee their many lusts within, and their many enemies without; I foresee that grace inherent I will give them to be as mutable to all the progeny as in their father Adam; and if I leave them in the hands of their own councel, they cannot but depart daily from me, even as water, though it could be made as hot as fire, yet being left unto it self, it will quickly reduce, & work it self to its own original coldness again: I foresee them in their best condition, at full Sea, at their highest tyde of grace, to be as changeable and movable several ways as wheels; to be as perplexed, hindered, and distracted in themselves, as cross wheels in one another; grace swaying one way, and flesh another way, and what stability can I think in such? why yet (says God) yet I purpose to bring this little flock to heaven; my purpose is in, and from my self; and I am God and not man, and therefore I cannot repent, nor call in the purpose which now I have; have I said, and shall not I do it? have I spoken, 4and shall I not make it good? yes, yes, my purposes must stand, and for this purpose I will set my Son betwixt my people and my self; so that if they sin, I will look on him, and by that means I will see no iniquity in Jacob, nor transgression in Israel;
- 1Isa 14.24.
- 21 Cor. 1.1•
- 3Heb. 13 8
- 4Numb. 23.15
