(1.) THAT the Things, declared to be SERM. the Objects of Joy, and Grief, and Repen- IX. tance, are of that Nature, that, if God were capable of our Paffions, he would, in fuch Cafes, difcover himself as we do: Thus, when the Heavens, and Earth, and Sea are called upon to praise and magnify the Name of God, the Meaning is only to fhew, that, if the Heavens, and Earth, and Sea had Natures capable of these Paffions, they would, and ought to exprefs them, upon thefe Occafions: So would God have Joy at the Converfion of a Sinner, and Grief at the unworthy Carriage and Difobedience of Men, and repent of his Kindness, when Men abuse it, and repent of his Punishment, when Men reform under his Rod; if the glorious Majefty were capable of fuch Refentments and Paffions.

OR, (2.) God is then faid to repent, when he doth thofe Things which Men use to do, when they repent; they forbear to do what they have done, and do the Contrary; fo that, when God is faid to repent of Evil, the Meaning is, that he doth not do the Evil that he hath threatened, or doth not perfift in doing that which he had begun to do; there is a Change in the Creature, but no Change in God,

SERM. either in his Nature or Decree. Deus muIX. tat facta, non mutat confilia; and therefore, in other Places of the Holy Writ, we are told plainly, that God is not a Man that he should repent.

XX. 1.

OR (3.) Repentance in God denotes the Action he is about to do, rather than any Thing in his own Nature, or any Change in his eternal Purpofe. God's Repenting of his Kindness is an Inflicting of that Punishment, which the Creature, by the Change of his Carriage, has juftly merited and deserved: His Repenting of Evil threatened is the With-holding of Punishment denounced, when Man fubmits to his Authority, and humbly acknowledges his Crime. In all, or either of thefe Senfes, God may be faid to repent; which doth not imply any Change in God, or interfere with the true and genuine Notion of God's Immutability. It is objected,

2. THAT God promises and threatens many Things which never come to 2 Kings pass. The Prophet Isaiah is fent unto King Hezekiah, to command him to fet his Houfe in Order, for he should die, and not live; and this is prefaced with Ver. 6. Thus faith the Lord; and yet we read, that God promifes to add to his Days fifteen

Years,

4.

Years. And the Prophet tells the Ninevites, SE RM. that, after forty Days, Nineveh fhould be IX. destroyed; and yet we find in the last Verfe of this Chapter, that, upon their Repen- Jonah iii. tance, God did not bring this Judgment upon them. Is not God true? Shall not the Word that is gone out of his Mouth be accomplished? How can these Things confift with God's Immutability? To which I answer,

THAT the Promises and Threatenings in Scripture are conditional, and however the Conditions were uncertain in Refpect of Men, yet they were not fo in Respect of God. His Promises are made with the Conditions of Faith and Obedience, And Deut. the Lord fhall make thee the Head, and not xxviii. 131 the Tail; and thou shalt be above only, and fhalt not be beneath: if that thou hearken unto the Commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this Day to obferve and to do them. And in like Manner, God's Threatenings are denounced with an Exception of Converfion and Repentance, At what Inftant I shall speak concerning a Jer. xviiid Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck 7, 8, up, and to pull down, and to destroy it: If that Nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their Evil, I will repent of the Evil that I thought to do unto them. thought

And

SERM.

IX.

And at what Inftant 1 fhall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to build and to plant it: If it do Evil in my Sight, that it obey not my Voice, then I will repent of the Good wherewith I faid I would benefit them. This is an univerfal Rule, by which all the particular Cafes of this Nature are to be tried, fo that, when Man repents of his Sin, the Purpose of God remains unchangeable; he is always equal to himself, and true to his own Purposes and Decrees; it is not He that changes, but Man. It is confeffed that this Condition is not always expreffed, neither is it neceffary that it fhould be; this general Rule, revealed in Scripture, is fufficient for those who enjoy the Benefit of the Revelation; and, in others, there is implanted a natural Notion of God's Goodnefs upon their Repentance. And it is probable, that this Condition is frequently omitted, to the End that the more terrible and peremptory the Threatenings of God are, and the Denunciations of his Vengeance, the more effectual they may be to awaken, and roufe up, the fecure and prefumptuous Offenders, to humble them under the Sense of their Demerit, and to bring them to an Acknow→ ledgment of his righteous Juftice: And therefore, tho' they be abfolutely denoun

ced

ced, they are to be conditionally interpreted, SE RM. with a Reservation in Cafe of Repentance. IX. 3. IT may be further objected: If God is immutable, then why do we pray unto him? Why do we pray for those Things he is refolved not to give us, and deprecate those Judgments he is refolved to inflict upon us? To which I answer; That Prayer is the Condition upon which God has promised us the good Things of this Life, and of a better; this we are affured, that we have a Right and Title to nothing, without we ask it of God; for every good Gift is from above; and is fanctified by the Word of God and Prayer; and whofoever enjoys the good Things of God, without paying him this Homage of his Prayers and Adorations, ufurps upon God's Prerogative and Sovereignty, and fhall be accountable for it at the Laft Day. When therefore God grants us the good Things we pray for, or diverts thofe Judgments which hang over our Heads, upon our Humiliation and Repentance, he is not therefore fubject to any Change, neither are his Purposes and Decrees ineffectual; because his original Decree was, to pardon the Sinner upon his fincere and unfeigned Repentance, and to answer the Prayers of every obedient 0 2 and