The Doctrine of the Covenant of Redemption, Title page – To the reader
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.
Pſal. 89. 3.
I have made a Covenant with my Choſen, I have Sworn to David my Servant.
Boſton, Printed by Benj. Harris over-again… …e 5word…-Houſe. 1…92.
To the Reader.
THE Great and Glorious God who has an abſolute Dominion over his Creatures, might (had he pleaſed) have dealt with. Men in a way of Soveraignty only, requiring Duty and Obedience from them, without any promiſe of reward. But he has ſeen Good to tranſact with them in a Covenant way. There are but Two Covenants eſſentially differeing which the Moſt High has made with men, Viz. That of Works, And that of Grace. The first Covenant which man whilst in Paradiſe, was concerned in, is rightly termed a Covenant of Works, becauſe Works or Doing, was the Condition of it. Thi… was ſoon broken, and ſo made Null, … then the Lord out of his Infinite Goodneſs, was pleaſed to eſtabliſh another Covenant The firſt was made with a Righteous P… ſon, and ſo a Covenant of Wor… between the Holy God and him. This latter was made with ſinners and is therefore a Covenant of Reconciliation. And it is ſitly stiled the Covenant of Grace: Not but that there was Grace in the Firſt Covenant, for His Divine Majeſty did infinitely condeſcend in binding himſelf to his Creature: but to do thus to a fallen, forlorn ſinful Creature, is by way of Eminent Grace. The Scripture ſpeaketh expreſly of Two Covenants, Gal 4. 24. And that not only as Diverſe, but as Oppoſite and differeing in their Natures. The Law of Faith is ſet in direct oppoſition to the Law of Works. Rom. 3. 27. For a man to find the Life of his hands, to live by his own Righteouſneſs; and for him to depend ſolely upon the Righteouſneſs of another, that is, of Jeſus Christ for Life and Salvation, are contrary things. And from thence it is impoſſible for a man to be under both the Covenants at the ſame time; he cannot be the Child of two Mothers, the Child of Hagar, and of Sarah too.
That the Covenant of Grace has for the ſubstance of it been the ſame in all Ages, differing only in Circumſtances & as to the manner of diſpenſations is denied by the Old Pelagians, and by Socinians, Arminians, and ſome Baptiſts at this day. But the Scripture aſsureth us, That Believers under the Old-Teſtament were not made perfect without us. Heb. 11. 40. They & we are ſaved by the ſame Chriſt & by the ſame Covenant, the Mediator of the Covenant has always been the ſame, Yeſterday, to day, & for ever the ſame. The Son of God was an Interceſſor for his People before his Incarnation. Zach. 1: 12. Believers under the Old-Teſtament were ſecured by him. Neither is there ſalvation in any other. If then the Partriarchs were ſaved (as we know they were) it was by Jeſus Chriſt: No man was ever ſaved ſince the world began but by him. Under the Old-Teſtament Faith in Chriſt was neceſſary in order to Juſtification & Salvation To him give all the Prophets Witneſs that through his Name, whoever believeth in him ſhall receive remiſſion of ſins. Promiſes which do concern Spiritual and Eternal as well as Temporal bleſſings, were made to Old-Teſtament believers. Our Saviour proveth that the bodys of Saints ſhall have a Glorious Reſurrection to Eternal Life from the Covenant made with Abraham. They of old, Looked for a City which has Foundations, whoſe maker and builder is God. Which, if Heaven (and not Temporal Bleſſings only) had not been Promiſed them, they would not have done. Now if there is an Identity as to the Mediator, the Condition, the promiſes of the Covenant made with Believers in the days of the Old Teſtament and of the New, the Covenant muſt needs be effectually the ſame. When therefore by the Old & the New-Covenant, that of Works and of Grace are intended, the diſtribution is of the Genus into its Species. But when the Covenant of Grace as under the Legal or Evangelical diſpenſation, is meant (& ſo it often is in the Scripture) the distinction is of the ſame ſubject according to its various adjuncts.
There is another Covenant which that of Grace is built upon, Viz. The Covenant of Redemption. That there have been bleſſed Tranſactions between God the Father and the Son from the Days of Eternity, concerning the Salvation of the Elect, is a glorious Truth, which (not the light of nature but only) the written word of God has revealed; That ſpeaketh of Gods Purpoſe and Grace given us in Chriſt Jeſus before the world began, and of Eternal Life promiſed before the world began. Theſe tranſactions were Foederal. The father ſaid of the Son [im Taſim, ſi poſuerit] If he ſhall make his Soul an offering for Sin, Iſa. 53. 10. Whatever is required to a compleat formal Covenant between two diſtinct Perſons is to be affirmed, concerning what has paſſed between God and Chriſt with reſpect unto the Redemption of thoſe that were from Eternity given to him; Articles of Agreement (to ſpeak after our Nature) have been concluded, accepted, and exactly kept unto by them both. On this account the Lord Chriſt is ſaid to be a Surety. He is not only Fidejuſſor but Expromiſſor. He has ſo undertaken to anſwer for his Elect, as that they were many of them ſet at liberty before the price of their Redemption was actually payed & that by vertue of this Covenant, wherein the Father did take the word of his Son Jeſus Chriſt, that the thing ſhould in due time be performed. As to the Efficacy of his Death, He was ſlain from the Foundation of the World. Believers that dyed in the beginning of time went to heaven becauſe the Son of God had promiſed to lay down his life to ſatisfy divine juſtice in their behalf. Concerning the Covenant of Grace, this Author has Publiſhed a judicious Treatiſe ten years ſince, whereby the Churches have been edified. He has here, with the like ſolidity diſcourſed on the Covenant of Redemption, ſhewing himſelf a workman that needs not be aſhamed. The Reader will find therein Goſpel Myſteries, with Brevity and yet Perſpicuity (which is rare) explained, confirmed, applyed, ſo as that both Learned and Unlearned (God has made us Debtors unto both) may thereby be built up in their most Holy Faith; in ſome more diſputable Points, He expreſſeth his own Judgement without reflecting on thoſe whom He differs from. It has been controverted amongſt very Learned men, whether it is conſistent with the Rectoral Holineſs of that God who cannot look upon iniquity, to pardon ſin without ſatisfaction made to his injured juſtice. Grotius, Voſſius, Voetius, Turretin, Heidan, and of our own Divines, the great Owen and Mr. Burgeſs have inclined to the Negative in the Queſtion mentioned. But others of great name and worth, (and in particular Dr. Twiſs concerning whom our Mr. Norton in his Life of Mr. Cotton does truly affirms that he was if any of this age a Star of the first Magnitude) are for the Affirmative, with whom the Worthy Author does concur, but with ſuch Modesty and Cander as no Ingenious perſon tho' of a differing Sentiment, can be offended at him. In Queſtions ſo Extrafundamental, (as long as the beſt of us know but in part) we may (to uſe Auſtins expreſſion) be diverſly perſwaded Salva ſide et Caritate.
Now the God of truth, bleſs theſe endeavours for glory to his own Name, the edification of his People, and the rejoicing of his Servant, and Grant that both Speaker and Hearers, Writer and Readers, may have Joy together in the Day of Chriſt.
Boſton, New-England. February 6th. 1693. Increaſe Mather