Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

The immutability of a good God is a strong ground of consolation. Subjects wish a good Prince to live for ever, as being loath to change him; but care not how soon they are rid of an Oppressor. This unchangeableness of Gods Will, shows him as ready to accept any that come to him as ever he was; so that we may with confidence make our addresses to him, since he cannot change his affections to goodness. The fear of change in a friend hinders a full reliance upon him; An assurance of stability encourages hope and confidence. This attribute is the strongest Prop for faith in all our addresses; tis not a single perfection, but the glory of all those, that belong to his nature; for he is unchangeable in his love, Jer. 31.3. in his truth, Psal. 117.2. The more solemn Revelation of himself in this name Jehovah, which signifies chiefly his Eternity and immutability, was to support the Israelites faith, in expectation of a deliverance from Egypt, that he had not retracted his purpose, and his promise made to Abraham for giving Canaan to his posterity.^* Herein is the basis and strength of all his promises; therefore saith the Psalmist, those that know thy name, will put their trust in thee; ^*Those that are Spiritually acquainted with thy name Jehovah, and have a true sense of it upon their hearts, will put their trust in thee. His goodness could not be distrusted, if his unchangeableness were well apprehended and considered: All distrust would fly before it as darkness before the Sun; it only gets advantage of us, when we are not well grounded in his name; and if ever we trusted God, we have the same reason to trust him for ever. Isa. 26.4. Trust in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, or as tis in the Hebrew, a Rock of Ages; that is, perpetually unchangeable. We find the traces of Gods immutability in the Creatures; he has by his peremptory decree set bounds to the Sea, hitherto shalt thou come but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed. ^*Do we fear the Sea overflowing us in this Island? No, because of his sixth decree: And is not his promise in his Word, as unchangeable as his Word concerning inanimate things as good a ground to rest upon?