He adds, “But still there is a more glorious discovery than
this behind; and that is, the glorious end whereunto sin is appointed and
ordained (I suppose he means by God) is discovered in Christ, — namely, for
the demonstration of God’s vindictive justice, in measuring out to it a
meet recompense of reward, and for the praise of God’s glorious grace in
the pardon and forgiveness of it; — that is, that it could not be known how
just and severe God is, but by punishing sin, nor how good and gracious God
is, but by pardoning of it; and, therefore, lest his justice and mercy
should never be known to the world, he appoints and ordains sin to this
end, — that is, decrees that men shall sin that he may make some of them
the vessels of his wrath, and the examples of his fierce vengeance and
displeasure, and others the vessels of his mercy, to the praise and glory
of his free grace in Christ. This, indeed, is such a discovery as nature
and revelation could not make,” p. 51; which, in the next page, he calls
God’s “truckling and bartering with sin and the devil for his glory.”