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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	lamb_n	life_n	write_v	5,499	5	6.5172	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96532	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]	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.; Mather, Increase, 1639-1723.	1693 (1693)	Wing W2274A; ESTC W38208	68,045	178

Covenant viz of Redemption supposeth a Subject unto whom this Redemption is to be applied and consequently for whom it was undertaken But it is requisite that we Fix the due limits here or else we shall be at a great loss in an Essential Point relating unto this Covenant for only the Redeemed and all of them are to receive the benefits of it here then let these things be considered 1. It supposeth subject that stands in need of Redemption To have undertaken it for any other had been Supervacaneous And there could be no other such monument but such a creature as is forfeited and fallen into misery and cannot get out ●● it again till it be bought out and rescued from it Rom. 5. 6. 2. There are two sorts of creatures that are reduced to this exigency viz fallen Angels and men As to the Angels which kept their first station though they needed Confirmation yet not Redemption and that this Confirmation of theirs doth derive from this Covenant to them is no-where in Scripture so much as insinuated But those once Angels now Devils are become miserable by their woful revolt from God being fallen under a Righteous Condemnation and therefore they so far need Redemption as that without it they must needs be Eternally miserable and all mankind are by the Apostasy come under this infelicity they are a company of dead Creatures by vertue of that sin the Guilt whereof lieth heavy upon them Rom. 5. 12. 3. The Fallen Angels or Devils stand no way related unto this Covenant but only men God never thought of or contrived a way for the Jayl-Delivery of Devils but hath left them hopelesly under the Sentence which fell upon them when they rebelled against him and therefore their misery is beyond all hopes of remedy they are said to be Reserved in Everlasting Chains Jude 6. But God had more Gracious thoughts for man and in this respect we find that the Son of God in pursuit of this Covenant medled not with the Assumption of the Angelical nature but took that only of Humanity Heb. 2. 16. And the reason of this was because he had not covenanted to redeem Ang●l● but only men 4. That all mankind universally were not included in this Covenant so as that the Son of God undertook to pay the Redemption price for them How far there was some benefit to redound from it to mankind I here dispute not But that Christ became Surety to pay the Price for all is not to be believed As to the notion or distinction of his redeeming all Sufficiently and only some Effectually it cannot be reconciled to sense how then shall it be believed It is one thing to pay a Price of sufficient value to redeem all and another thing to pay it for their Redemption and to suppose that he did it for this end and yet they should perish at the last is not only besides but against Scripture Joh. 6. 39. This is the Fathers Will that hath sent me that of all that he hath given me I should Lose nothing yea if we consider the nature of the Covenant it will evidence it to be inconsistent The end of it hath been shewn to be for the Glory of Gods Grace in the Salvation of his Redeemed this Covenant was a Medium to that end and therefore all that were so Covenanted for must certainly attain it or else the Covenant so far loseth its design This therefore is that which Christ Intercedes for in behalf of those whom he hath Redeemed Joh. 17. 24. these are they whom his Father gave him that he might Redeem them 5 That Those whom he Covenanted for were a Definite Company of particular persons Not only was the number of them agreed upon in this Transaction but the individuals also were Determined Here observe 1. The Covenant did not run Illimitedly That he should pay a price for all and that offers should be made to all and that as many as would accept of them might be made to partake in the benefits of it was not the form in which this Covenant ran There is indeed such an offer made in the Promulgation of the Covenant of Grace by the Gospel to all unto whom it comes on such a condition but neither is this to all men nor yet doth the Covenant of Redemption run so and there is this reason for it among others because it is one Article in this Covenant that whom Jesus Christ doth Redeem he shall save and in order to it bring them to himselfe John 6. 37. and but for this none would come to him vorse 44. and then where would be the seed that should serve him and be counted to him for a generation 2. Nor did this Covenant run upon the Previous qualities of m●n before Conversion It did not say that such sorts of persons should be redeemed and others not but it took in as God saw meet all sorts of persons Jews and Greeks Barbarians and Scythians of every age sex and disposition some that proved civil before they were savingly changed others who before they were brought home to Christ were the vilest and most debauched of mankind This appears to have been so by the event for which we have plentiful Scripture Testimony and therefore it assures us that it was not upon these terms that it stood 3. But it took in so many Individual persons chosen according to the Sovereign pleasure of God Hither the Apostle limits it Eph. 1. 11. The Lambs Book of Life in which names are written mentioned Rev. 21. 27. refers properly to this Covenant and they are persons who are written here they have their names in it The Son of God knew from eternity whom he was to Redeem and God knew them This is the Foundation of which the Apostle speaks which hath such a Seal upon it 2. Tim. 2. 19. who are his this Indigitates the very persons Our Hygh Priest therefore had their names written upon his brestplate when he was to offer the Sacrifice for them and make expiation in their behalf in the Holy Place CHAP. 9. What are the Articles of the Covenant IT Belongs to the nature of a Covenant that there are terms agreed upon and concluded between the parties in it or something in which each obligeth himself to the performance of and by the distinct knowledge of these it is that we come to have an insight into the particular nature of any Covenant It is therefore needful that we take the account of the Articles of the Covenant of Redemption that so we may discover the main and essential difference between that and the Covenant of Grace to prevent our confounding of them one with the other Here let it be observed that this is one of those Covenants which is made between equals therein is divers from the other which is made between a Superiour and inferiour They are equal whether we consider them in their nature Phil. 2. 6. or if we consider the things

is so that God who is one party in the Covenant he unchangeable and cannot falsify his word which he hath past yet we who are on the other party are mutable and consequent ly might violate the condition and so come under a forfeiture and lose the Promises and therefore such as look no farther than the Covenant of Grace and consider the conditions of ●● and the threatnings annexed to it such ●● Rom. 8. 13. Hebr. 10. 38. the like have been ready to deny the Doctrine of Perseverance and set up the uncomfortable Doctrine of total and final Apostasy whereas this Covenant affords us a compleat Salvo for all this because in it there is a security provided for the people of God and a promise made to the Son that none of those whom his father hath given him shall be lost or be suffered to draw back to perdition The mercies of the Covenant of Grace are sure mercies because they are the mercies of David Isa 55. 3. i. e. They are such as were promised to him viz. to Christ of whom David was a Type The promises indeed are invariable but if it be enquired how they came to be so it is to be observed that they are said to be in him 2 Cor. 1. 20. It is he who gives them their confirmation on this account it is that when God speaks of his continuing his mercy to his people notwithstanding all their falls and false dealings in his Covenant he Comemorates another Covenant as the ground of his so doing Psal 89. 33 c. Not the Covenant which was made with Davids Children which intends the Covenant of Grace but that which was plighted with David himself i. e. with Christ and that is the Covenant of Redemption Emblematical of this are these observable Scriptures 1 Kings 15. 3 4 5. 2 King 8. 16. 34. and a clear distinction is therefore made between these two Covenants in that memorable place Ezek. 16. 60. There is the Covenant made with them in the days of their youth i. e. in the Wilderness which was a Covenant of Grace under Ceremonies Signs and Types this God saith he will Remember i. e. graciously he will perform the good for them which was held forth in it notwithstanding all they had done to provoke him to the contrary But how will he do this he will establish unto them an Everlasting Covenant i. e. the Covenant of Redemption and therefore observe he doth not say he will establish it with them but unto them i. e. he would make them receive the application of all the good which was provided for them in it yea indeed this is it which sets God on work to bring about the mercy intended for his Chosen when they are doing all they can to withstand it and lay the greatest blocks in the way to it because he hath engaged to do this in the Eternal Transac●●on that past between him and his S●● about it CHAP. 12. The A●●●●●tion of this Truth by way of Information THE Doctrine of the Covenant of Redemption is not meerly speculative but exceeding practical and it will not be amiss to subjoin some brief improvement of it and here USE I. May be by way of Information there are several inferences which may be drawn from and confirmed by it let a few be here taken notice of INFERENCE I. We may here see the ground of the certainty and infallibility of the Coversion and Salvation of all Gods Elect. The right conception and consideration of this Covenant will take away all doubts about it and afford many undeniable evidences of it and in particular 1. We may strongly argue from the inexpressible love of God which herein discovers it self abundantly The same love which gave Christ for us in the fulness of time provided him for us in the days of Eternity and that is set forth as incomparable Joh. 5. 16. God so loved c there is no reddition Nay here is the Emphasis of it he not only gave him for us when we needed him but he provided him for us before we needed him that he made sure of this salvation for us before all ages and generations This Covenant was the Lords own Doing every way and may well be marvellous in our eyes He first thought of it when there was none to put him in mind of it in his Infinite Wisdom and he Indented it and sure he would never have done all this if his heart had not been set upon the Salvation of his Chosen It was he who propounded and ratified this Covenant with his own Son Psal 89. 3. and would he have made it and so ratified it with such firm and inviolable ●ngagements if he had not been fully resolved upon the unfailing accomplishment of it 2 This will be farther pleaded because the Individual names of those who were thus to be redeemed by Christ were put into the Articles of this Covenant There was not only an agreement made that there should be a Common price paid a Common stock laid in which might be sufficient for as many as would make improvement of it It might then have been uncertain whether any at all should have been saved by it but the very persons were covenanted for and this is evidently intended by the writing of their names in the Book of life of which mention is made in the Scripture Rev. 13 8. 17. 8. Which is nothing else but the book of the Covenant of Redemption in which provision was made for the restoring of dead sinners to life again by Jesus Christ it is therefore called the Lambs book because these were given to him to redeem And Names must needs indigitate persons so that the individuals were indented for and this is a book which hath no blots in it those that are here written must needs be saved what saith Christ himself about it Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me 3. All these are firmly promised and engaged to Christ in this Covenant they shall be his Seed upon the performance of the Articles that were proposed unto him This was one Encouragement that his Father offered to him see Isa 13. 10 Psal 22. 30. and how do they come to be the Seed of Christ and consequently the Children of God but by being brought into the Covenant of Grace and under the Promise of Eternal Life Gal. 3. 26. Now this was the Word and Promise of God himself The Unchangeable God the God that cannot Lie and it is made to his own Son and upon it he undertook the work and went through it in expectation of the compleat Accomplishment of it Heb. 12. 2. for the Joy that was set before him c. and what can we possibly conceive to be more firm 4. The Sufficiency of the Redeemer must needs make this Salvation sure to those for whom it was provided In this Covenant God took care to provide one who was every way able to do the