2dly, That since he is eternal in his being, he must be so in his power, holiness, justice, and all his other perfections, which are terrible to his enemies: thus the Psalmist says, Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath, Psal. xc. 11. and the apostle says, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. x. 31.
(2.) It affords matter of comfort to believers, as opposed to the fluctuating and uncertain state of all creature-enjoyments; it is an encouragement to them in the loss of friends and relations, or under all the other losses or disappointments they meet with as to their outward estate in this world. These are, at best, but short-lived comforts, but God is the eternal portion and happiness of his people, Psal. lxxiii. 26. and, from his eternity, they may certainly conclude, that the happiness of the heavenly state will be eternal, for it consists in the enjoyment of him, who is so; which is a very delightful thought to all who are enabled by faith to lay claim to it.
VI. God is immutable: thus it is said, that with him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, James i. 17. This is sometimes set forth in a metaphorical way, in which respect he is compared to a rock, Deut. xxxii. 4. which remains immoveable, when the whole ocean, that surrounds it, is continually in a fluctuating state; even so, though all creatures are subject to change, God alone is unchangeable in his being, and all his perfections.
Here we shall consider,
1. How immutability is a perfection; and how it is a divine perfection peculiar to God.
(1.) It must be allowed that immutability cannot be said to be an excellency or perfection, unless it be applied to, or spoken of what is good; an immutable state of sin, or misery, is far from being an excellency, when it is applied to fallen angels, or wicked men: but unchangeable holiness and happiness, as applied to holy angels, or saints in heaven, is a perfection conferred upon them; and when we speak of God’s immutability, we suppose him infinitely blessed, which is included in the notion of a God; and so we farther say, that he is unchangeable in all those perfections in which it consists.
(2.) Immutability belongs, in the most proper sense, to God alone; so that as he only is said to have immortality, 1 Tim. vi. 16. that is, such as is underived and independent, he alone is unchangeable; other things are rendered immutable by an act of his will and power, but immutability is an essential perfection of the divine nature; creatures are dependently immutable, God is independently so.
(3.) The most perfect creatures, such as angels and glorified saints, are capable of new additions to their blessedness; new objects may be presented as occasions of praise, which tend perpetually to increase their happiness: the angels know more than they did before Christ’s incarnation; for they are said to know by the church, that is, by the dealings of God with his church, the manifold wisdom of God, Eph. iii. 10. and to desire to look into the account the gospel gives of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow, 1 Pet. i. 11, 12. and they shall have farther additions to their blessedness, when all the elect are joined to their assembly in the great day; so that the happiness of the best creatures is communicated in various degrees; but God’s perfections and blessedness can have no additions made to them, therefore he is immutable in a sense as no creature is.
2. We shall now prove that God is immutable in his being and all his perfections.
(1.) That he is immutable in his being; this belongs to him as God, and, consequently to him alone. All other beings once were not; there has been, if I may so express it, a change from a state of non-existence, to that of being; and the same power that brought them into being, could reduce them again to their first nothing. To be dependent, is to be subject to change at the will of another; this is applicable to all finite things; for it is said, As a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed: but God being opposed to them as independent, is said to be the same, Psal. cii. 26, 27.