Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

3. This Doctrine will teach us to imitate God in this perfection by striving to be immovable in goodness. God never goes back from himself, he finds nothing better than himself for which he should change; and can we find any thing better than God, to allure our hearts to a change from him? The Sun never declines from the Ecliptic line, nor should we from the paths of Holiness. A steadfast obedience is encouraged by an unchangeable God to reward it, 1 Cor. 15.58. Be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Unsteadfastness is the note of an Hypocrite, Psal. 78.37. steadfastness in that which is good, is the mark of a Saint, 'tis the Character of a righteous person to keep the truth, Isa. 26.2. And it is as positively said, that he that abides not in the Doctrine of Christ, hath not God, 2 Epist. John 9. but he that doth, hath both the Father and the Son. So much of uncertainty, so much of nature; so much of firmness in duty, so much of Grace. We can never honour God unless we finish his work; as Christ did not glorify God but in finishing the work God gave him to do. ^*The nearer the world comes to an end, the more is Gods immutability seen in his promises and predictions, and the more must our unchangeableness be seen in our obedience, Heb. 10.23, 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and so much the more as you see the day approaching. The Christian Jews were to be the more tenacious of their faith, the nearer they saw the day approaching, the day of Jerusalems destruction prophesied of by Daniel, ^*which accomplishment must be a great argument to establish the Christian Jews in the profession of Christ to be the Messiah; because the destruction of the City was not to be, before the cutting off the Messiah. Let us be therefore constant in our profession and service of God, and not suffer our selves to be driven from him by the ill usage, or flattered from him by the Caresses of the world.