Q. 8. What is the third instruction from this attribute?

A. That the hopes of all wicked men are vain, being built upon a presumption, that God will not deal with them as he hath threatened he will do.

Q. 7. What is the second instruction hence?

A. That the happiness of God's people is firm and sure, being still upon the word of an unchangeable God; Mal. 3:6. For I am the Lord; I change not: therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed, Heb. 6:18.

Q. 6. What is the first instruction from God's immutability?

A. That those that are most unchangeable in holiness, are most like God: Let him that is holy be holy still.

Q. 5. But how could God become man, and yet no change made on him?

A. There is a twofold change; one active, made by God, that we allow: He made a change upon our nature by uniting it to Christ; but a passive change made upon God, we deny. The nature of man was made more excellent, but the divine nature was still the same.

Q. 4. But it is said, God repents, and repentance is a change: How then is he unchangeable, and yet repents?

A. In these phrases God speaks to us, as we must speak of, and to him; not properly, but after the manner of men: and it only notes a change in his providence, not in his nature.

Q. 3. By what other argument prove you his immutability?

A. I prove it from the eternity of God. If God be eternal, he must be immutable: for if he change by addition of something to him he had not before, then there is something in God which he had not from eternity: And if he change by diminution, then there was something in God from eternity, which now is not; but from everlasting to everlasting he is the same God, and therefore changeth not.

Q. 2. Whence doth God's immutability flow?

A. The immutability of God flows from the perfection of his nature, to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken away. If any thing could be added to make him better than he is; or if any thing could be taken away, to make him less good than he is, then he were not the chiefest good, and, consequently, not God.

Quest. 1. WHAT scriptures plainly assert this attribute?

A. Exod. 3:14. And God said unto Moses, I AM that I AM. Dan. 6:16. For he is the living God, and stedfast for ever; Jam. 1:17. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Q. 9. What may all men, good and bad, learn from it?

A. All men may learn three things from the eternity of God; First, That their life is a thing of nought compared with God; Psal. 39:5. Mine age is as nothing before thee. Secondly, That sins, or duties, long since committed, or performed, are all present before God. Thirdly, That God can never want opportunity to do his work, and carry on his designs in the world. All time is in the hand of the eternal God; Rev. 12:12. The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Q. 8. What may good men learn from it?

A. That their joy and happiness will be perfect and endless, who nave the eternal God for their portion; Psal. 16:11. In thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.