N00556:269
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
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 Sincerity, under our greatest imperfections render our performances acceptable to God. If our hearts be right in the Duties we do, if they are True and Faithful to God, if we can truly plead Uprightness and Integrity; they shall preserve us. No weakness that influenceth our Obedience, shall cut it off from his favour, or prevent his smelling a savour of rest in it. He that had not a Lamb to offer, might offer Two Turtle Doves. The ground of this is here, because Christ is accepted for us in the Covenant of Redemption, and so we come to be accepted through him in the Covenant of Grace.
2. That Sincerity, under our greatest imperfections render our performances acceptable to God. If our hearts be right in the Duties we do, if they are True and Faithful to God, if we can truely plead Uprightness and Integrity; they shall preserve us. No weakness that influenceth our Obedience, shall cut it off from his favour, or prevent his smelling a savour of rest in it. He that had not a Lamb to offer, might offer Two Turtle Doves. The ground of this is here, because Christ is accepted for us in the Covenant of Redemption, and so we come to be accepted through him in the Covenant of Grace.
2 That Christ is engaged not only to do for us, but in us, too, all the works that are needful. All that is requisite to our pleasing of God, and obtaining of Glory. His Almighty power stands concerned in it: hence Pauls Prayer for his Colossians, Col. 1.9, 10, 11. In a word, ⟨p. 152⟩This Covenant hath provided a Christ for us to go to for all that we can stand in need of, in order to the bringing of us home to the Kingdom: For the Subduing of all our Enemies the Conquering of our Corruptions, the Recovering of us from our Apostasies, the Establishing of our Grace, the Perpetuating of our Perseverance; So that there can nothing be wanting for the satisfaction of a believing Soul, but here it is to be had fully: and the encouragement to go to him with boldness for it, is fetched from the consideration of this Covenant; Because GOD the FATHER stands firmly Engaged to His SON, for the doing of all this for us; and he cannot deny us when we come and humbly and believingly claim it at his hands, upon this scope.