kening the zeal of good." To do good is the cha- | dence the power o The It is an interesting gates of hell are moved. The devil and wicked men are engaged. False philosophy and violence combine to delude and destroy. Terrible wars are wasting large portions of the earth. God is shaking the nations, and punishing their sins. All are called upon to exhibit a decided character. And who will not appear on the Lord's side? Not to perish with the Alms and prayers united are efficacious. Offered in the name of Jesus for the advancement of his cause, they are acceptable to God, and promotive of the sal. vation of men. With how delicious a pleasure the pious female, who gives her cent a week to the treasury of her dearest Lord, contemplates its extensive effects in spreading the knowl-wicked, we must be active in deedge of his name, as the Sav- fending and promoting his kingiour of a perishing world? And dom. How great, or how long with what devout satisfaction, continued, will be the calamities will not godly husbands and fa- of the nations, we cannot prethers behold the piety of their dict; but we can with assurance wives and daughters, in their li- say, God will preserve his berality to Christ and prayerful-church, the Lord Jesus will save ness for the prosperity of his every one that believes in him. kingdom? Strangers, that read Let sincerity and zeal in servthe account of their deeds, have ing him, be our hope of safety. benevolent emotions excited in To be happy on earth and etertheir own hearts. Many are nally blessed in heaven, let our stirred up to imitate what they wisdom be that which is from approve. The sacred flame above, and our actions those of communicates from breast to faith and charity. And let us breast. It is grateful to view not be weary in well doing, for the extensive spread of the mis- in due season we shall reap if sionary spirit, in a few years, we faint not. "He that soweth through the christian world, and to the flesh, shall of the flesh its effects in Europe, in Asia, in reap corruption; but he that Afrcia, and in America. The soweth to the Spirit, shall of translation of the inspired scrip- the Spirit reap life everlasting." tures into the languages of the east, in which hopeful progress has been made, the extensive dispersion of Bibles by Bible Societies in Europe, and the employment of missionaries to preach the gospel in many dark parts of the earth, as well as in the infant plantations of our land, eviVOL. I. NO. 2. The Trustees request the several religious congregations belonging to the society, that they have a public contribution for the benefit of the society's funds, on the day of the annual thanksgiving, or, if it be thought more convenient, on a Lord's day near that time. H The Trustees also recommend it to the society to pass the following Resolves : Resolved, that in future years, the annual meeting of the society shall be holden at 10 o'clock of the day appointed by the constitution. Resolved, that in future the auditing Committee be directed yearly to examine the accounts of the Committee of Trustees. On the Immutability of God. we cannot form an adequate conception of the immutability of God, or of the immensity of his being from which it arises.-Still to meditate on a subject, which we cannot comprehend, may elevate our conceptions of his glorious nature, and we may draw therefrom sundry inferences of prime importance in the Christian life. What evidence have we that the Lord our God is immutable? CALEB STRONG,Concerning ourselves and allBy order of the Trustees. the things around us, we know they are subject to change. That men,in their loose opinions of the godhead, apprehend something of the same kind in him, is evident from a great part of NE of the purposes, for their conduct; especially, from which the scriptures were their false estimation of his judg-given, was to teach us the cha-ments, notwithstanding the plain racter of the true God. Such is expressions he hath made of his the weakness of our understand-will,and the visible appointments: ing, as well as the sinfulness of of his government to moral our hearts, that without this as- agents. O sistance, we shall unavoidably The testimony of his word err concerning his glorious na-is most express to this point "I ture, and the manner in which the Lord change not, therefore, we may address him and expect ye sons of Jacob are not conhis mercy. Among the attri-sumed."Of all the things butes expressly ascribed to the which we see, the substance of supreme being, we find it to be the heavens and the earth appear one, that he is immutable. He to be most permanent; but is called the "Father of lights, hear what the Psalmist saith with whom is no variableness or of those compared with the im shadow of change."-The Psalm-mutability of God: "Of old ist saith, "Thou art the same, hast thou laid the foundation and thy years have no end." of the earth, and the Heavens All the divine perfections are in-are the work of thy hands; they comprehensible by finite minds, shall perish, but thou shalt enand it is as much so with his dure, yea all of them shall wax immutability as any other of old as a garment,and asa vesture his attributes. We are so accus-shalt thou change them, and tomed to changes in ourselves, they shall be changed; but thou and they are so continually hap-art the same, and thy years shall pening in all the creatures have no end." around us, and arise so necessa-, aily from their frail natures, that The immutability of God doth also appear from the other attri butes which are ascribed to him | and can never be reduced to the necessity of changing his scheme of government, or selecting better instruments. He is perfectly holy; so that there never can be any moral defect in his purposes, or any reason from the nature of things, that he should change. in his word, compared with the character of creatures. Comparing creatures with their infinite Creator, we shall directly see why they are given to change, while he is eternally the same; so that there can be no propriety in arguing from one to the other. The knowledge of creatures is finite; on receiving new information they change their opinions: Their power is derived, and when new degrees of this are given, from whatever cause it may be, their conduct is changed: Their wisdom is variable, and they act accordingly; Above all, their wills are mutable, from which a change of character may arise. A finite being must from its nature be mutable, and the certainty of its remaining the same, can be confirmed only by the will of God. From the finite powers and qualities of creatures, all those changes come, which are daily seen in their opinions and -conduct. There is no such foundation for change in the nature of God. His other perfections insure his immutability. They make it certain that he will for ever be the same God, without any variation or shadow of turningReview his other attributes, and consider how immutability arises from them. He is omniscient, so that no increase of knowledge can alter his purposes or change his plan. He is allwise; he always saw how to adopt the best purposes, and execute them at the best time, and by the best means; also, all means are under bris control. He hath infinite power, being the Almighty One, Another important question arises. In what respects is God immutable? An attribute may be ascribed to a creature partially. A man may be generally wise while he is not so at all times, or in all things. He may be good, still not without defects; such limitations necessarily belong to finite and sinful creatures. The Lord our God is unchangeable in all respects. His nature is immutable. Although it be impossible for us to compréhend an infinite nature, God assures us that he exists, in all his glory, necessarily and independently: That his being is allsufficient and eternal; and so far as reason can determine, this must be the case with the great first cause of all things. If the divine nature be immutable, his counsels must be the same. If there be no shadow of change in the knowledge, which comprehends all possible things, in the wisdom which chuses, in the holiness which approves, in the will which appoints, then the scheme of his counsels must be invariable as his nature. For the same reasons, the principles on which he governs his works will be invariable. If his government be holy, disapproving sin and approving righteousness, it will always be the same. So is the divine law by which all men shall be judged. This law will always remain the same, although sinful minds may wish a change, both of its precepts and penalties, to accommodate them to their own wicked dispositions. From the beginning, the divine law hath been a rule of duty, and will remain so thro' our whole existence: a rule for holy living, approved by infinite wisdom and rectitude, for promoting the glory of God, and our own happiness. Therefore to the question, in what respects God is immutable? we may answer, He is so in all respects: In his nature; in his counsels; in the principles of his providential government; and in the requirements of his holy law, by which all men shall be judged. How glorious is that kingdom over which the Lord reigns! Being created for his own glory, we have every reason to suppose it so immense in its extent, in the number of rational creatures whom he governs, and the variety of its objects, as will be a true display of the fulness in his own nature; both its duration and immensity will glorify the unsearchable Creator. This kingdom is governed on immutable principles. The counsels by which it was planned, and the efficiency which brought it into being, will remain the same for ever and ever. Both the nature and the works of our God are incomprehensible.-How can we sufficiently adore the Lord, for his own underived glory, and for the displays he hath made of himself! How can we trifle any longer, while we act under the eye of God, and dwell in the midst of his kingdom! How can we sin against him, when we know that all his works and his whole law are the result of immutable knowledge, wisdom and holiness! "I the Lord change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." The immutability of his love and grace is the cause of our preservation. From the beginning of life we have transgressed his will. In many things we have directly affronted his majesty, in all things we have come short of our duty. Our sin hath been incessant as our thoughts and greatly aggravated; why then are we not consumed? It is because the Lord changeth not. If he were to change, he might at once forego all the counsels of redeeming love; he might instantly cut off every sinner from a day of grace; yea, he might forget the promises made to those, who thro' repentance have hope in the mercy of God. The immutability of God, of his gracious designs through Jesus Christ, of his offers to every sinner who will return to him, and of his promises to the saints, is our only safety against the desert of our iniquities. The Christian consolation doth also depend on the immutability of God our Redeemer. This is described in the sixth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews: " Wherein God, willing more abundantly, to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, | Infidels tremble! How vain is confirmed it by an oath That the hope of escape to those who by two immutable things, where- intend to continue in iniquity! in it is impossible for God to lie, How delusive the expectation, we might have strong consola- that the Lord will deal differenttion, who have fled for refuge to ly with them from what he hath lay hold upon the hope set before said! How dangerous their imus: Which hope we have as agination, that the law will lose an anchor of the soul both sure its force, or the principles of the and stedfast, and which entereth divine government be varied into that within the vail, whith- from God's original purpose! er the forerunner is for us en- All such hopes must be the delutered, even Jesus, made an high sion of men darkened by their priest for ever." The only own appetites. foundation, on which an assured Christian hope can stand, is the perfect merit and effectual intercession of Christ in the presence of the Father, together with the immutability of his nature. It is impossible he should either deceive, or turn from his purpose of giving eternal life to so many as through faith yield him a true obedience. Here is the certainty that the saints shall be finally redeemed by the blood of Christ on any other ground the Christian hope would be of little worth. If salvation were dependent on the stability of men, or if it were left to their own power of persevering, they would assuredly perish. How soon, we see the most animated Christians backslide, break their resolutions and surprise themselves by their own change; so that we hear them crying, "Lord, save us!" Our faith hath failed, we cannot, by our own strength, walk on these boisterous waves of indwelling sin and a tempting world. Un-wages of sin is death." less the hand of unchangeable power and grace be now stretched forth, we must sink and perish for ever. If the Lord be immutable, let impenitent sinners, let obstinate Although the immutability and the word of God are the highest authority for belief, these reflections must not be closed without an appeal to experience, Go read bis word, his promises, his threatenings. Hath one of these failed? Have not all of them, in his dispensations to mankind, in their time been fulfilled with such exactness as astonished every devout observer of his providence? He hath said all the fruits of sin are painful; and have we not found them thus? Have not the judgments predicted against many people, at their appointed time, been executed? He hath said, the gates of hell shall never prevail, and have not the heavens above and the earth beneath moved, at many times, to preserve the promise_inviolate? The immutability of God, which gives strong consolation to Christians, ought to alarm determined sinners, for he who changeth not hath said "The C. |