---

Christ is like the rock in mid-ocean, that never changes, and braves every storm; feeling is like the restless, shifting water that rolls round it. Christ is like the grand old church tower standing foursquare to every wind, grey with centuries, a shelter and a home to all who will come; feeling is like the bells in the tower, which only ring on rare occasions, and easily change their tune; most demonstrative on Sunday, and often still all the week when duty much needs their merry music. Christ is like the sun, whose light, and heat are constant; feeling is like the fleecy cloud, now beautiful as an angels wing, now a cold grey sky. Christ is the tree of life, with root deep and the soil firmly gripped, lifting into the sky leaf and blossom and branch; feeling is a mere blossom, a child of the gay summer time, unfit for storm or winter service. Christ is the guide who never leaves the traveller; feeling is the torch sometimes burning brightly, but very liable to be blown out. He who trusts mere feeling will trust a light most likely to have gone out when most he needs guidance and comfort, while it will often burn brightly when it is least needed. The saints' final perseverance secured by the immutability of God: — This glorious doctrine stands —

1. On the perfections of Jehovah.

2. Upon the covenant work of the Lord Jesus.

3. Upon the faithfulness of the faithful and eternal Spirit.Of the perfections of God, His immutability is here placed before us. This is declared to be the security of the sons of Jacob.

I. "THE SONS OF JACOB," who are they? Some consider the passage as having regard to the literal Jacob, the literal restoration and conversion of the Jews. These "sons of Jacob" are God's own sons. These are they who, clad in the garment of their elder brother, do inherit all blessings. These are they that "wrestle," like their father Jacob; they "wrestle" in prayer with God. And they cannot live without Him. More than that, these are the "Israel," and they "prevail." But these "sons of Jacob" have all the elements of destruction in them. They have the indwelling corruption of their nature. It goes with them where they go — stays with them where they stay. It defiles all that they touch, and all that they think and all that they do. Besides the fountain of evil, there is the actual evil — what a man does. Both in sin as a principle and in sin as an act there is in a "son of Jacob" the very element of his own destruction.

II. THOUGH THIS IS SO, THEY ARE NOT CONSUMED. Though they are often placed in a hot fire; sometimes so hot that faith seems almost to be gone. They are tried; their grace's tried, their faith is tried, hope tried, love tried, every "fruit of the Spirit tried," and yet they are not consumed.

III. WHEREFORE ARE THEY NOT CONSUMED? "I am the Lord; I change not." The description can only be true of God Himself. He is unchangeable in His being, in His perfections, in His faithfulness, in His justice, in His holiness, in His love.

(J. Harington Evans, M. A.)

---

---

KJV: For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

WEB: "For I, Yahweh, don't change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.