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The doctrine of the covenant of redemption. Wherein is laid the foundation of all…
The doctrine of the covenant of redemption. Wherein is laid the foundation of all our hopes and happiness. Briefly opened and improved. / By Samuel Willard, teacher of a church in Boston. ; [Three lines from Psalms]
Boston: printed by Benj. Harris over against the Old-Meeting-House, 1693
Chapter 10: The necessity of this Covenant, in order to Mans Salvation.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. That God was under no natural necessity to Save any of Fallen Mans Posterity. There was no tie of Nature upon him, to give a pardon to, and bestow Salvation upon any of that Ruined Progeny. He might have Damned them all, without any injury to himself, or wrong done to them; and that he did not so do, is a fruit not of Compulsion, nor of Nature, but of his mere Good Will, Rom. 9.18. No man can give any other reason of the thing it self, than that which he gives of the choice of the Subject in particular. The same reason why he chooseth this man, and not the other, is to be assigned why he chooseth any at all, and that is, because it so seemed good unto him, Mat. 11.24. for they were all equally capable.
1. That God was under no natural necessity to Save any of Fallen Mans Posterity. There was no tie of Nature upon him, to give a pardon to, and bestow Salvation upon any of that Ruin'd Progeny. He might have Damned them all, without any injury to himself, or wrong done to them; and that he did not so do, is a fruit not of Compulsion, nor of Nature, but of his meer Good Will, Rom. 9.18. No man can give any other reason of the thing it self, than that which he gives of the choice of the Subject in particular. The same reason why he chuseth this man, and not the other, is to be assigned why he chuseth any at all, and that is, because it so seemed good unto him, Mat. 11.24. for they were all equally capable.
2. That hence God was not under any natural necessity of engaging in this Covenant, for the bringing about the Redemption of men. If the effecting of the thing were arbitrary to him, then the Indenting about the doing of it must needs be so too. If God might have left the whole Race of Mankind to have perished for ever; and that he doth not so do is contingent, i. e. free and voluntary; than whatsoever refers unto the designation or appointment of it in the Decree must proceed from the Sovereignty of his Will: and hitherto this Covenant is to be referred. Yea, indeed if it had been natural, the notion of a Covenant made about it had been impertinent; the fixing of a Decree concerning it, had been superfluous; for what occasion is there for a Decree about natural actions?