An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

The gracious Decree of Election is,¹ as becomes the Divine Nature, eternal, unchangeable, fruitful; yet was it a free Act, terminating upon what Object it pleased: Hence God saith, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated; he infallibly brings his Elect to Glory: But no man may be so vain or presumptive, as to limit the holy One, or chalk a Way or Method for him to walk in, who works all things according to the counsel of his own will. But how then came sin and death into the World? Why, surely it came in by Man's Transgression, and under God's-Permission: But why could not this eternal, unchangeable, fruitful Love, preserve us from falling? I doubt not at all, but God, who is Almighty, could have kept up Man and all his Posterity in their primitive station, as well as he did the standing Angels; but if you ask on, Why did he not do it? I have nothing to answer, ⟨p. 248⟩[…] ⟨p. 249⟩[…] ⟨p. 250⟩but that it was not his pleasure: God loves no man into sin; the Expression is too odd for a Christians Mouth or Ear; but he suffers his very Elect to fall into sin, yet is his Love eternal, unchangeable, fruitful towards them; if I may allude to that of Hezekiah, Isai. 38.17. He loves them from the pit of corruption, he fetches them out of the corrupt Mass of Mankind by his effectual Grace; and though afterwards they have many falls and lapses, yet electing Love sets to its hand again, and revives them by a fresh Repentance, showing it self fruitful in their recovery and safe conduct to Heaven; and all this is managed in a way of unaccountable Sovereignty.

The gracious Decree of Election is,¹ as becomes the Divine Nature, eternal, unchangeable, fruitful; yet was it a free Act, terminating upon what Object it pleased: Hence God saith, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated; he infallibly brings his Elect to Glory: But no man may be so vain or presumptive, as to limit the holy One, or chalk a Way or Method for him to walk in, who works all things according to the counsel of his own will. But how then came sin and death into the World? Why, surely it came in by Man's Transgression, and under God's-Permission: But why could not this eternal, unchangeable, fruitful Love, preserve us from falling? I doubt not at all, but God, who is Almighty, could have kept up Man and all his Posterity in their primitive station, as well as he did the standing Angels; but if you ask on, Why did he not do it? I have nothing to answer,