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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.
2. That hence Relative Justice requires that if sinning man be pardoned, his sin must be satisfied for according to this Law, in a Surety. Here lies the ground of the necessity. If any ask, why need God to lay a ground for such a necessity, if he could by his Lordship have pardoned Sin without a Mediator? it is easily replied, who are we to call him to an account? and it may as well may be demanded, why did God let man fall into sin to necessitate the Intervention of a Surety? surely he could have kept him from it, as he did the preserved Angels It is enough, Infinite Wisdom contrived the way for his own Glory, and Who shall teach hi•, who is most High. Here then let it be observed.
2. That hence Relative Justice requires that if sinning man be pardoned, his sin must be satisfied for according to this Law, in a Surety. Here lies the ground of the necessity. If any ask, why need God to lay a ground for such a necessity, if he could by his Lordship have pardoned Sin without a Mediator? it is easily replied, who are we to call him to an account? and it may as well may be demanded, why did God let man fall into sin to necessitate the Intervention of a Surety? surely he could have kept him from it, as he did the preserved Angels It is enough, Infinite Wisdom cont•ived the way for his own Glory, and Who shall teach hi•, who is most High. Here then let it be observed.
1. That the Covenant of Works did not exclude the Intervening of a Redeemer ▪ to take up the matter between God and the Sinner. It is true, it did not make mention of such a thing; nor was it then meet to tell man, that if he should undo himself, he should be repaired by another: that was not an Article accommodated ⟨p. 82⟩to a Covenant of Works; but it was reserved for another Covenant▪ viz. that of Grace. But there was no obstacle there, or provision against it; for indeed that Covenant was one of the Media for the Illustration of the Glory of Grace, and therefore it could not in Wisdom be made obstructive to it. God is the best Interpreter of his own mind, and he hath thus expounded it, by declaring that he hath ordained his Son to be the Repairer of the Breach, and to Redeem us from the Law,