Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

2. Again, If his Essence were mutable, he could not be perfectly blessed, and fully rejoice in himself. If he changed for the better, he could not have an infinite pleasure in what he was before the change, because he was not infinitely blessed; and the pleasure of that state could not be of a higher kind than the state it self, or at least the apprehension of a happiness in it: If he changed for the worse, he could not have a pleasure in it after the change; for according to the diminution of his state, would be the decrease of his pleasure: His pleasure could not be infinite before the change, if he changed for the better; it could not be infinite after the change, if he changed for the worse: If he changed for the better, he would not have had an infinite Goodness of being before; and not having an infinite Goodness of Being, he would have a finite Goodness of Being; for there is no medium between finite and infinite: Then though the change were for the better, yet being finite before, something would be still wanting to make him infinitely blessed; because being finite, he could not change to that which is infinite; for finite and infinite are extremes so distant, that they can never pass into one another; that is, that that which is finite should become infinite, or that which is infinite should become finite: So that supposing him mutable, his Essence in no state of change, could furnish him with an infinite peace and blessedness.

2. Again, If his Essence were mutable, he could not be perfectly blessed, and fully rejoyce in himself. If he changed for the better, he could not have an infinite pleasure in what he was before the change, because he was not infinitely blessed; and the pleasure of that state could not be of a higher kind than the state it self, or at least the apprehension of a happiness in it: If he changed for the worse, he could not have a pleasure in it after the change; for according to the diminution of his state, would be the decrease of his pleasure: His pleasure could not be infinite before the change, if he changed for the better; it could not be infinite after the change, if he changed for the worse: If he changed for the better, he would not have had an infinite Goodness of being before; and not having an infinite Goodness of Being, he would have a finite Goodness of Being; for there is no medium between finite and infinite: Then though the change were for the better, yet being finite before, something would be still wanting to make him infinitely blessed; because being finite, he could not change to that which is infinite; for finite and infinite are extreams so distant, that they can never pass into one another; that is, that that which is finite should become infinite, or that which is infinite should become finite: So that supposing him mutable, his Essence in no state of change, could furnish him with an infinite peace and blessedness.