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

If any will say, it was done, quià Voluit, I am content, his Will is never irrational; if he will say further, that it was for his Glory, I am satisfied, that is the supreme End; if he will yet go on and say, it was for the manifestation of his Justice and Mercy, I cannot ⟨p. 72⟩tell how to assign a better End; if the after-use made of Sin may interpret God's meaning, that shows forth the Illustration of both those Attributes: The Apostle tells us, That God is willing to show his wrath and power in some, and to make known the riches of his glory in others, Rom. 9. Suppose there were no Ordination, but only a nude Permission, a man may ask, Why did God permit such an Apollyon as Sin to enter the World? Why suffered he so many glorious Angels to fall into sin, and immediately, without any place for Repentance, to sink into Chains of Darkness for ever? There is scarce any appearance but of mere Sovereignty & Justice in it: Why suffered he Man and all his Posterity with him to fall into sin and wrath? It is plain, that the work of Redemption, in which Justice and Mercy were both showed forth, was ushered in upon it. It's true, as the Scripture saith, That God delights not in the death of a sinner; not in death, as it is the misery of the Creature; not in the death of a repenting sinner, his Repentance, which is there opposed to Death, is more grateful: However, the sins of men fall under his Providence, and, without repentance, their ⟨p. 73⟩death, as an act of Justice, will be grateful to him, insomuch that he will laugh at it, Prov. 1. There are behind yet two other Expressions; the one puts the Doctor's Opinion into odious colours, after this manner: It pleased God that Man should sin, but when he had sinned, he is exceedingly displeased at it: But upon the very opening of it, all vanishes into nothing; God's holy Ordination was his pleasure, but Man's Sin is hateful and provocative of wrath. This cannot be strange to any one versed in Scripture: The Assyrian Tyrant was the Staff and the Rod in Gods hand, sent by him against his people; yet when the work was done, God would punish the fruit of his stout heart, and kindle a fire under his Glory: Gods Hand and Gods Counsel was in the Crucifixion of Christ, and yet what an horrible tempest of wrath came down on the Jews for it? The other Expression is this;