The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-02-26
FoR TUE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
Gods Repenting of Evil.

The declaration, that God repented of
the evil that he had said he would bring
upon the city of Nineveh, and did it not,
has perplexed many persons, but ought
not in reality to present any inSuperable
difficulty to our minds. 1t is also said in
the book of Genesis, that God "repent-
ed that he made man" when he deter
mined to destroy the whole human fami-
ly with the waters of the fO9d.
~ gelrs....ssz-7.-es.----~-sssgshat sceptioal
views, while sitting at his own breakfast
table, once said in the presence of cler-
gyman with whom he was well acquaint-
ed, that he did not believe that God would
ever create a world, and then repent of
having called it into existence. "Neith-
er do !" replied the clergyman, :" if by
Gods repenting of having made man,
you mean that any thing had occurred af-
ter his creation, which God had not clear
ly and distinctly foreseen, when he form,
ed him out of the dust of the earth. -
Known unto God are all his works from
the beginning of the creation. We should
ever remember that God is an unchange-
able being. His knowledge is infinite.
Nothing can be hidden from his all-see-
ing eye, The future is as well known to
him US the past Indeed there is with
God no future, and no past. This we
cannot comprehend, but it would not be
wise for us to come to theconclrsion that
God does not know to-day, what will
happen tomorrow. Joseph said to the
officers of Pharaoh, who were in prison
with him, that it belonged to God to in
terpret dreams; and we believe that,
wrapped up in the mysterious visions of
the Prophets recorded in the Bible, there
is an outline of all the events that will
occur to the end of time.
Men only repent of what they have
done, or change their purpose with refer
ence to the future, when something hap
pens contrary to their expectations, which
they were not able to foresee. But that
cannot be the meaning, when it is said,
that God repented Of shy suppose he had
formed, or of any thing that he had done.
When the Ninevites turned away from
their wickedness, which had provoked the
anger of the Almighty, he repented of
the evil, which he had said he would do
unto them, and he did it not, that is, he
acted as men do, when they alter or
change any purpose they may have form
ed. A father may determine to punish
child that has become unruly and DISC
bedient. He may threaten to do SO; but
as soon as the child alters its conduct,
and instead of being obstinate and rebel
lious, becomes humble, submissive and af-
fectionate, the parent will relent and
change the purpose he had formed of
chastising the transgressor, and not inAict
upon him unnecessary stripes. Thus God
deals with men.
The sacred writer's were obliged to
speak of God, as if he were man. They
could not have been understood, if they
had not done so. God is never excited
by passion as men often are. He never
changes his purpose. He is never, strict
ly speaking, sorry for any thing he has
done. He is not furious at one time,
and slow to anger at another, and yet the
Bible often makes use of such expressions
in speaking of the High and Holy One.
1t does so in condescension to our feeble
faculties. We cannot doubt that God