Page:Worksofrightrevb00strauoft.djvu/50

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" He dwelleth in light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see," i Tim. vi. i6. "The Lord is the everlasting God, who hath created the ends of the earth; He shall not faint nor labour, neither is there any searching out of His wisdom," Jer. xl. 28. "We shall say much, and yet shall want words; but the sum of our words is, He is all. What shall we be able to do to glorify Him? For the Almighty Himself is above all His works. The Lord is terrible, and exceeding great, and His power is admirable. Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for He will yet far exceed; and His magnificence is wonderful. Blessing the Lord, exalt Him as much as you can, for He is above all praise. When you exalt Him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary; for you can never go far enough," Ecclus. xliii. 29, &c.

Q. 19. Is God capable of changing?

A. No; God is always the same, and altogether incapable of any manner of change whatever. Thus the Holy Scripture declares, " God is not as man that He should lie, nor as the son of man that He should be changed; " Num. xxiii. 19. And God Himself says, "I am the Lord, and I change not," Mai. iii. 6. Hence the royal Prophet shows this great difference between God and creatures, that " they shall perish," says he to God, "but Thou remainest; and all of them shall grow old like a garment, and as a vesture Thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art always the self-same, and Thy years shall not fail," Ps. ci. 27. And St James declares, that with " God there is no change, nor shadow of alteration," James, i. 17.

Q. 20. Why then is God said to be sorry, to repent, to be angry, or the like?

A. These are only figurative expressions, accommodated to our way of conceiving things, and only mean,