A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 136. Of Objections against the immutability of Gods counsell, Answered.

1. OBject. Gods counsell is free, therefore changeable.

Answ. I deny the consequence. Freedome and immutability may well stand together. Though freedome be opposed to constraint, yet not to constancy.* 1.1 Freedome hath relation to the cause: mutability or immutability to the event. Gods counsell is most free in the cause: but in the event, immutable. If it be said, that that which is freely done, may be ordered this way or that way. I deny also this consequence.

Besides, that which in the beginning might have been ordered this way, or that way, and therein the agent shew himself a free agent, being determined, remain∣eth no more free to be altered.

2. Object. God is oft said to repent: and that sometimes of bestowing favours,* 1.2 Gen. 6. 6. 1 Sam. 15. 11. And sometimes of inflicting judgement, Psal. 106. 45. Ier. 26. 3, 13, 19.

Answ. Repentance is not properly attributed to God, but meerly by way of re∣semblance: a 1.3 after the manner of man. When men see cause to alter, that which is done, promised, or threatned, they are said to repent, because they find some reason to alter their former purpose and determination. But that which God al∣tereth about any thing formerly done, promised, or threatned, is according to his first purpose and determination; as when God said to Eli, Thy house, and the house of thy Father shall walk before me for ever: his purpose was to cut off that house for their transgressions, 1 Sam. 2. 30. And when God said of Nineveh, yet forty dayes, and Nineveh shall be over thrown; his purpose was to spare Nineveh, upon their re∣pentance,

Ion. 3. 4, &c. In those mutable sentences, God changed not his secret* 1.4 counsell, but his revealed word. Gods purpose of casting off Eli's house, and spar∣ing Nineveh, was immutable: and manifested by the event. The promise of shew∣ing mercy to Eli's house, and the threatning of vengeance against Nineveh, was a meanes to accomplish that determined counsell of God: in that by the promise of mercy, the sins of Eli, and of his Sons were so aggravated, as they made them∣selves unworthy of that favour: and by the threatning of vengeance, Nineveh was brought to repentance.

3. Object. Though the secret counsell of God be immutable, yet the alteration of Gods revealed will argueth changeablenesse.

Answ. No such thing; but rather contrary: for those and such like promises and* 1.5 threatnings, had their secret & concealed limitations, according to which they were to be performed. The limitation of the promise was, If they to whom it was made should walk in the wayes of the Lord. Such a limitation was expressed in the pro∣mise to Iereboam, 1 King 11. 38. which, because it was not observed, the promise was not performed, and yet Gods truth therein, yea, and thereby, accomplished. Put this into syllogisticall form, and it will be the better discerned, thus.

If the house of Eli for ever remain upright, it shall for ever abide before me.

But it hath not remained upright, therefore it shall not abide before me.

So on the other side, the limitation of Gods threatning against Nineveh was, un∣lesse they repent. Such a limitation is expressed in Gods threatning against 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Gen. 20. 3, 7. Read a pregnant place to shew the limitation of Gods promises and threatnings, Ier. 18. 7, &c.

4. Object. Gods word hath been altered in plain, simple declarations, where no such limitation is intended: The word being neither promise nor threats, but a narration of an event: as where God said concerning Behadad, Thou maist certainly recover, and yet he died, 2 King 8. 10. and concerning Hezekiah, Thou shalt die, and yet he recovered, 2 King 20. 1.

Answ. Gods word, in these and such like places, was uttered, not of the event,* 1.6 but of the naturall and ordinary course of secondary causes. In regard hereof, He∣zekiah could not have recovered, unlesse God had against the course of these causes restored his life. And Benhadad might have recovered, if Hazael had not trayt•…•…∣rously with a murderous hand, stifled him. Gods word then rightly understood was true: but the event had reference to Gods secret purpose: for the effecting where∣of Gods word uttered in another sence, was an especiall meanes. For Gods decla∣ration of Hezekiahs desperate disease, made Hezekiah pray the more earnestly: and his declaration of Benhadads possibility to recover, moved Hazaell to murd•…•…r him.

5. Object. Divine attributes have been altered. He took his mercy from Sa•…•…l, 2 Sam. 3. 13. His anger endureth but a moment, Psal. 30. 5.

Answ. In these and other like places the causes are put for the effects: mercy and anger for the effects that follow from them. The altering of those effects, argued an alteration in men, that they continued not to be such as they were before: but con∣stancy in Gods dealing with them, according to their carriage towards him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Freedom and immutability may stand to∣gether.
• * 1.2

  How God is said to repent.
• a 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.4

  Mutavit sen∣tentiam non consilium.
• * 1.5

  Gods promi∣ses and threat∣nings have their limita∣tions.
• * 1.6

  Gods word in reference to secondary causes.