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

The Author admits an immutable Love in God towards goodness;¹ but the Scripture asserts an immutable Love in God towards persons: He hath chosen us before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1.4. Electing Love is eternal, and therefore immutable: Non enim est vera aeternitas, ubi orttur nova voluntas, nec est immortalis voluntas, quae alia et alia est: An eternal choice must be ever the same, and after one there cannot rise another. The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; the ⟨p. 587⟩Lord knoweth them that are his, 2 Tim. 2.19. Election, which is the foundation, is sure, and Gods fore-knowledge, which includes invariable Love in it, is the seal of it: The Book of Life hath all the names of the Elect written in it, and Gods Love is the Seal that confirms it; whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified, Rom. 8.30. This Golden Chain of Grace comprises in it certain individual persons, as the words (whom and them) which fasten every link of it, doth evidently import; and that which holds all the links of it together, is immutable Love: Nay, besides Scripture evidence, reason will evince this immutable Love of the Elect; without this there can be no design of a Church, and without the design of a Church, Christs blood must needs be shed irrationally, or upon a mere peradventure; I say, without this there can be no design of a Church; for the design of a Church must comprise in it, those individual persons, which shall make up a Church, and undertake that they shall infallibly believe and persevere till they come to Heaven; it must first comprise ⟨p. 588⟩in it those individual persons which shall make up a Church, or else it is lame and imperfect, unworthy of the Divine Wisdom and Perfection; running much after this rate, as if God should say, I design a Church, but I care not of whom it consists, which is much one, as if God should design an Heaven, and not what Stars should be in it; or an Earth, and not what Plants should be there: All the members in mans body are written in Gods book,