(3.) The wisdom of God appears yet more eminently, in the work of our redemption; this is that which _the angels desire to look into_, and cannot behold without the greatest admiration; for herein God’s manifold wisdom is displayed, 1 Pet. i. 12. Eph. iii. 10. This solves the difficulty, contained in a former dispensation of providence, respecting God’s suffering sin to enter into the world, which he could have prevented, and probably would have done, had he not designed to over-rule it, for the bringing about the work of our redemption by Christ; so that what we lost in our first head, should be recovered with great advantage in our second, the Lord from heaven. But though this matter was determined in the eternal covenant, between the Father and the Son, and the necessity of man seemed to require that Christ should be immediately incarnate, as soon as man fell, yet it was deferred till many ages after; and herein the wisdom of God eminently appeared. For, _1st_, God hereby tried the faith and patience of his church, and put them upon waiting for, and depending on him, who was to come; so that though they had not received this promised blessing, yet they _saw it afar off_; _were persuaded of, and embraced it_, and, with _Abraham, rejoiced to see his day_, though at a great distance, Heb. xi. 13. John viii. 56. and hereby they glorified the faithfulness of God, and depended on his word, that the work of redemption should be brought about, as certainly, as though it had been actually accomplished. _2dly_, Our Saviour, in the mean time took occasion to display his own glory, as the Lord, and Governor of his church, even before his incarnation, to whom he often appeared in a human form, assumed for that purpose, as a prelibation thereof; so that they had the greatest reason, from hence, to expect his coming in our nature. _3rdly_, The time of Christ’s coming in the flesh, was such as appeared most seasonable; when the state of the church was very low, religion almost lost among them, and the darkness they were under, exceeding great; which made it very necessary that the Messiah should come: when iniquity almost universally prevailed among them, then _the deliverer must come out of Sion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob_, Rom. xi. 26. and when the darkness of the night was greatest, it was the most proper time for _the Sun of Righteousness to arise with healing in his wings_, Mal. iv. 2. compared with Matt. iv. 16. (4.) The wisdom of God farther appears in the various methods he has taken in the government of his church, before and since the coming of Christ. For,