Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

1. The Will of God is the same with his Essence. If God had a Will distinct from his Essence, he would not be the most simple Being. God hath not a faculty of Will distinct from himself: As his Understanding is nothing else but Deus intelligens, God understanding; so his Will is nothing else but Deus volens, God willing; being therefore the Essence of God, though it is considered according to our weakness as a faculty, 'tis as his Understanding and Wisdom, eternal and immutable, and can no more be changed than his Essence; The Immutability of the Divine Counsel depends upon that of his Essence: He is the Lord Jehovah, therefore he is true to his Word, Mal. 3.6. Isa. 43.13. Yea, before the Day I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. He is the same, immutable in his Essence, therefore irresistible in his Power.

2. There is a concurrence of Gods Will and Understanding in every thing. As his Knowledge is eternal, so is his Purpose. Things created had not been known to be, had not God resolved them to be the act of his Will; the existence of any thing supposeth an Act of his Will. Again, as God knows all things by one simple vision of his Understanding, so he wills all things by one act of volition; therefore the Purpose of God in the Scripture is not expressed by Counsels in the Plural Number, but Counsel, showing that all the purposes of God are not various, but as one Will, branching it self out into may acts towards the Creature; but all knit in one Root, all links of one Chain. Whatsoever is eternal, is immutable: As his Knowledge is eternal, and therefore immutable, so is his Will; He wills or nills nothing to be in Time, but what he willed and nilled from Eternity; if he willed in Time that to be, that he willed not from Eternity, then he would know that in Time which he knew not from Eternity: For God knows nothing future, but as his Will orders it to be future and in time to be brought into being.

2. There is a concurrence of Gods Will and Ʋnderstanding in every thing. As his Knowledge is eternal, so is his Purpose. Things created had not been known to be, had not God resolved them to be the act of his Will; the existence of any thing supposeth an Act of his Will. Again, as God knows all things by one simple vision of his Understanding, so he wills all things by one act of volition; therefore the Purpose of God in the Scripture is not exprest by Counsels in the Plural Number, but Counsel, shewing that all the purposes of God are not various, but as one Will, branching it self out into may acts towards the Creature; but all knit in one Root, all links of one Chain. Whatsoever is eternal, is immutable: As his Knowledge is eternal, and therefore immutable, so is his Will; He wills or nills nothing to be in Time, but what he willed and nilled from Eternity; if he willed in Time that to be, that he willed not from Eternity, then he would know that in Time which he knew not from Eternity: For God knows nothing future, but as his Will orders it to be future and in time to be brought into being.