Use three: Comfort to the godly. (1.) In case of losses. If an estate be almost boiled away to nothing, if you lose friends by death, there is a double eclipse; but the comfort is, God is unchangeable; I may lose these things, but I cannot lose my God; he never dies. When the fig-tree and olive-tree failed, God did not fail. ‘I will joy in the God of my salvation.’ Hab 3:38. Flowers in the garden die, but a man’s portion remains; so outward things die and change, but ‘thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.’ Psa 73:36.

(2.) In case of sadness of spirit. God seems to cast off the soul in desertion, as in Cant 5:5, ‘My Beloved had withdrawn himself;’ yet he is unchangeable. He is immutable in his love; he may change his countenance, but not his heart. ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love.’ Jer 31:1. Hebrew, Olam, a love of eternity. If once God’s electing love rises upon the soul, it never sets. ‘The mountains shall be removed, but my loving kindness shall not depart from thee, neither the covenant of my peace be removed.’ Isa 54:40. God’s love stands faster than the mountains. His love to Christ is unchangeable; and he will no more cease loving believers than he will cease loving Christ.

Use four: Of exhortation. Get an interest in the unchangeable God, then thou art as a rock in the sea, immoveable in the midst of all changes.

How shall I get a part in the unchangeable God?

By having a change wrought in thee. ‘But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified.’ I Cor 6:6: Whence we are changed, a tenebris ad lucem [from darkness to light], so changed, as if another soul did live in the same body. By this change we are interested in the unchangeable God.

Trust to that God only who is unchangeable. ‘Cease ye from man,’ Isa 2:22; leave trusting to the reed, but trust to the Rock of ages. He that is by faith engarrisoned in God, is safe in all changes; he is like a boat that is tied to an immoveable rock. He that trusts in God, trusts in that which cannot fail him; he is unchangeable. ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.’ Heb 13:3. Health may leave us, riches, friends may leave us, but, says God, I will not leave thee; my power shall support thee; my Spirit shall sanctify thee; my mercy shall save thee; I will never leave thee. Oh trust in this unchangeable God! God is jealous of two things; of our love, and of our trust. He is jealous of our love, lest we love the creature more than him, therefore he makes it prove bitter; and of our trust, lest we should place more confidence in it than in him, therefore he makes it prove unfaithful. Outward comforts are given us as food by the way to refresh us, not as crutches to lean on. If we make the creature an idol, what we make our trust God will make our shame. Oh trust in the immortal God! Like Noah’s dove, we have no footing for our souls, till we get into the ark of God’s unchangeableness. Psa 125:5. ‘They that trust in the Lord shall be like mount Sion, which cannot be removed.’

II. God is unchangeable in his decree. What he has decreed from eternity is unalterable. ‘My counsel shall stand.’ Isa 46:60. God’s eternal counsel or decree is immutable. If he changed his decree, it must be from some defect of wisdom or foresight, for that is the reason why men change their purposes; they see something after, which they did not see before; but this cannot be the cause why God should alter his decree, because his knowledge is perfect, he sees all things in one entire prospect before him.

But is not God said to repent? There seems to be a change in his decree, in Jonah 3:30. ‘The Lord repented of the evil that he said he would do unto them.’

Repentance is attributed to God figuratively. Numb 23:19. ‘He is not a man that he should repent.’ There may be a change in God’s work, but not in his will. He may will a change, but not change his will. ‘God may change his sentence, but not his decree.’ A king may cause sentence to be passed upon a malefactor whom he intends to save; so God threatened destruction to Nineveh, but the people of Nineveh repenting, God spared them. Jonah 3:30. Here God changed his sentence, but not his decree; it was what had lain in the womb of his purpose from eternity.

But if God’s decree be unchangeable, and cannot be reversed, to what purpose should we use the means? Our endeavours towards salvation cannot alter his decree.

The decree of God does not affect my endeavour; for he that decreed my salvation decreed it in the use of means, and if I neglect the means I reprobate myself. No man argues thus: God has decreed how long I shall live, therefore I will not use means to preserve my life, I will not eat and drink. God has decreed the time of my life in the use of means, so God has decreed my salvation in the use of the Word and of prayer. As a man who refuses food murders himself, so he that refuses to work out his salvation destroys himself. The vessels of mercy are said to be prepared unto glory. Rom 9:93. How are they prepared but by being sanctified? and that cannot be but in the use of means; therefore let not God’s decree take thee off from holy endeavours. It is a good saying of Dr Preston, ‘Hast thou a heart to pray to God? it is a sign no decree of wrath has passed against thee.’

Use one: If God’s decree be eternal and unchangeable, then God does not elect upon our faith foreseen, as the Arminians maintain. ‘The children being not yet born, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, it was said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.’ Rom 9:11, 13. We are not elected for holiness, but to holiness. Eph 1:1. If we are not justified for our faith, much less are we elected for our faith; but we are not justified for it. We are said to be justified through faith as an instrument in Eph 2:2, but not for faith as a cause; and, if not justified for faith, then much less elected. God’s decree of election is eternal and unchangeable, and therefore depends not upon faith foreseen. ‘As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed.’ Acts 13:38. They were not elected because they believed, but they believed because they were elected.

Use two: If God’s decree be unchangeable, it gives comfort in two cases. (1.) Concerning God’s providence towards his church. We are ready to quarrel with Providence, if everything does not accord with our desire. Remember God’s work goes on, and nothing falls out but what he has decreed from eternity. (2.) God has decreed troubles for the church’s good. The troubles of God’s church is like the angel’s troubling the water, which made way for healing his people. John 5: 4. He has decreed troubles in the church. ‘His fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.’ Isa 31:1. The wheels in a watch move cross one to another, but they all carry on the motion of the watch; so the wheels of Providence often move cross to our desires, but still they carry on God’s unchangeable decree. ‘Many shall be made white.’ Dan 12:20. God lets the waters of affliction be poured on his people to make them white. Therefore murmur not at God’s dealings; his work goes on, nothing falls out but what he has wisely decreed from eternity; everything shall promote God’s design, and fulfil his decree.

Use three: Comfort to the godly in regard of their salvation. 2 Tim 2:19. ‘The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.’ God’s counsel of election is unchangeable. Once elected for ever elected. ‘I will not blot his name out of the book of life.’ Rev 3:3. The book of God’s decree has no errata in it, no blottings out. Once justified, never unjustified. ‘Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.’ Hos 13: 14. God never repents of his electing love. ‘He loved them to the end.’ John 13:3. Therefore, if thou art a believer, comfort thyself with this, the immutability of God’s decree.

Use four: To conclude with a word to the wicked, who march furiously against God and his people, let them know that God’s decree is unchangeable. God will not alter it, nor can they break it; and while they resist God’s will they fulfil it. There is a two-fold will of God, Voluntas praecepti et decreti; ‘the will of God’s precept, and of his decree.’ While the wicked resist the will of God’s precept, they fulfil the will of his permissive decree. Judas betrays Christ, Pilate condemns him, the soldiers crucify him; while they resist the will of God’s precepts, they fulfil the will of his permissive decree. Acts 4:48. God commands one thing, they do the contrary; to keep the Sabbath, and they profane it. While they disobey his command, they fulfil his permissive decree. If a man sets up two nets, one of silk, the other of iron, the silken net may be broken, not the iron; so while men break the silken net of God’s command, they are taken in the iron net of his decree; while they sit backward to God’s precepts, they row forward to his decrees; his decrees to permit their sin, and to punish them for their sin permitted.

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