Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

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.