Hufsey:

If it is demanded, to what end God sent his Son, the Apostle resolves it; “and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins,” 1 Joh. 4:10.

“God gave his Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish,” Joh. 3:16-17. In a word, to save the world.

It is a little to curious to inquire further, whether God might not have saved lost man without the Mediation of Jesus Christ, which Aquinas determines to have been possible to him, to whom nothing is impossible; but God’s infinite wisdom this seemed the most convenient, nay, for us incomparably better way, as whereby

1. God commends his infinite love, and philanthropia to us: Herein is love, not that we loved God, “but that he loved us, and sent his Son,” &c. 1 Joh. 4:10.

This may serve to keep sinners from despair.

2. This shows God inconceivable hatred of sin, to keep sinners from presuming, when God spared not his own Son, appearing in the room and place of sinners.

3. It affords us strong motive to obedience: when we are bought with such a price, we have all reason in the world to glorify God, “with our souls and bodies, which are God’s,” 1 Cor. 6:8.

4. No small honor redounds to human nature, by the word becoming flesh, the Son of God assuming our nature, Nolite nos ipsus comtemnere viri, &c. Undervalue not yourselves O men, seeing Christ was made Men; debase not yourselves O Women, because Christ was born of woman, says one.

5. Christ not only suffered for us our sins, but set us an example of humility, obedience, and all Christian graces, “which may be of great advantage to us, to walk in his steps,” 1 Pet. 2:21.

Reason. There can be no other cause in the world assigned, either internal or external, moving God to give his Son, but his mere love, his innate pity, bowels of mercy and compassion, yearning over his poor creature fallen into misery, plunged into the horrible put of destruction through his own wretched carelessness, and Satan’s implacable malice.

In the giving of his Son, God has made known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, according to his name, so is his nature: “The Lord God merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, and transgression,” Exod. 34:6-7. This is his name forever, and his memorial to all generations. This is celebrated in Scripture frequently; as if the Lord were delighted in glorifying his mercy above all the rest of his name and glorious attributes: “he is said to be plenteous in mercy,” Psal. 86:5. “He is pitiful and of tender mercy,” Jam. 5:11. And upon no occasion is the glory of his mercy so much spoken of, as in the work of redemption, and the sending of his Son: But God who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he loved us, &c. “That he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ,” Eph. 2:4,7. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy,” &c., 1 Pet. 1:3.

“Where sin abounded, there grace did much more abound,” Rom. 5:20.

To the praise of his glorious grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved,” Eph. 1:6.

“But after the kindness and love of God our Savior, towards man appeared,” &c. “Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” Tit. 3:4-6.

By all which it is manifest that God gave his Son freely, most freely, out of no necessity, for no profit to himself accruing by man’s salvation, for no works of righteousness, service or obedience foreseen, but moved thereto by his own goodness, grace, mercy, not delighting in the death of sinners, nor willing that poor man should perish by the Devil’s fraud and envy. Grace laid the foundation of redemption, in the sending of Jesus Christ, and grace alone is that which must lay the top-stone with shoutings, crying, “Grace, Grace unto it.”

J. Hufsey, The Way to Salvation: Or, The Doctrine of Life Eternal Laid down in several Texts of Scripture Opened and Applied (London: Printed for Nathaniel Ranew, and Jonathan Robinson, at the Angel in Jewen Street, 1668), 102-104. [Some spelling modernized; some reformatting; and italics original.]

Wilson:

Tim. But when the Apostle says, “Christ died for us while we were yet sinners: has his death brought this life to pass, that we are now not sinners?

Sil.  After we believe that Christ died for us, and are regenerate by his Spirit, we have sin still, but we are not any longer to be called sinners; because that now our sins by forgiveness is blotted out, and that which remains still in our nature reigns not, and the denomination of a person or thing, is ever from that, which is more excellent and worthy. But here the Apostle means by sinners, such as be under the guilt and dominion of sin, as all are before faith.

Tim. What could God see in us then to move him to love us?

Sil. First, he saw in his own creation, which he loved with a general love, as he does all the works of his hands. Secondly, he say in us much misery through sin, and this made him love us with a pitiful love. Thirdly, he loved his elect being yet sinners, in that he purposed in himself to call and justify them in due time. And now lastly, having grafted his elect in his Son by faith, and justifies them, he loves them actually, having set his own image in them.

Tim. You hold that there are several degrees of God’s love, even towards his elect?

Sil. There be so, for he cannot love his elect with that degree and kind of love when they are sinners, as he does after they are now in his Son justified and sanctified: for now sin which bred hatred and enmity, is defaced and case out by remission; and holiness which God loves, imprinted in them, and brought in by renovation.

Thomas Wilson, A Commentary on the Most Divine Epistle of S^t. Paul To the Romans, 3^rd ed., (London: Printed by E. Cotes in Aldersgate-Steet, 1653), 144. [Some spelling modernized; italics original; square bracketed inserts original; and underlining mine.]

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Perkins:

1)

The 1. Error.

There is a certain universal general election, whereby God, without any either restraint, or exception of persons, has decreed to redeem by Christ, and to reconcile unto himself all mankind wholly fallen in Adam, yea every singular person, as well as the reprobate, as the elect.

Confutation.

The very name of Election does fully confute this: for none can be said to be elected, it so be that would have all men elected in Christ, for he that elects or makes choice, cannot be said to take all: neither can he that accepts of all, be said to make choice only of some.

Object. Election is nothing else but dilection, or love: but this is we know, that God loves all creatures; therefore he has elected all his creatures.

Answer. I. I deny that to elect is to love, but to ordain and appoint to love. Rom. 9:13.

II. God does love all his creatures, yet not all equally, but every one in their place.  William Perkins, “A Golden Chaine,” in The Workes of that Famous and Worthy Minister of Christ in the University of Cambridge, Mr. William Perkins (London: Printed by John Legatt, 1626), 107-108.  [Some spelling modernized; italics original; and underlining mine.] [Credit to Tony for this find.]

2) Having the meaning, consider the duty, which is, to do good principally to the faithful, the saints and servants of God, that is, we must do good unto them before others, and more then to others, which are not of the same family; as David says, “My well-doing reaches not to thee, but to the saints that are in the earth, and them that excel in virtue,” Psal. 16:2, 3. For it is all one as if the Apostle should have said, “As it is fit and convenient, that they that are of the same family should be helpful and beneficial one unto another, rather then to those that are of another family. So it is requisite, that those which are members of the same body, nay sons and daughters, brethren and sisters, having the same God for their Father, the Church for their mothers, Christ for their elder brother, begotten of the same immortal seed, nourished with the same milk of the word, and looking for the same blessed inheritance: should rather be beneficial one to another, then to those that are foreigners and strangers, no way linked unto them by the bond of faith.

Now reasons why we ought specially to do good to them of the household of faith, may be these. First, because God loves all his creatures, specially mankind, most especially the faithful, upon whom he does bestow the riches of his love, yea himself also: for though be good unto all, Psal. 145:9, yet in a special sort he “is good to Israel, to them that are of a pure heart,” Psal. 73:1. “He is a Savior of all men, specially of all those that believe,” 1 Tim. 4:10. Thirdly, in respect of the Excellency of their persons, that they are sons of God, heirs of his kingdom, members of Christ, Temples of the Holy Ghost, &c. William Perkins, A Commentarie or, Exposition Vpon the fiue first Chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians (Printed at London by Iohn Legatt, Printer for the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, 1617), 524-525. [Some spelling modernized; some reformatting; italics original; and underlining mine.]

Ainsworth:

3 Bounty.

God’s virtues in respect of his will are bounty, and justice: Bounty is that, by which out of love, God procures to every creature the good thereof, and it is common, and particular. Common bounty is towards all creatures, even such as offend him, directing them to their natural good, and sustaining them therein, so long as justice suffers, Luke 6:36. God cannot hate his creatures, as his works, for so they carry a similitude of God, the first cause [Eze. 33:11.]: and none can hate himself, or his similitude, for a similitude is something of himself. God’s bounty to his creatures presupposes not any debt or duty, which implies imperfection; and if God were bound to his creatures, he should depend on them, and be imperfect.

God’s bounty which is infinite, gives creatures good things, of nature, of sour, and body, and of outward things.

Such is God’s bounty, as the creatures suffer no evil, unless God’s justice require it, or a greater good confirm it; of this virtue God is called patient, and long-suffering.

Particular, or special bounty, is that whereby God loved some men (in Christ) fallen into sin, and furnishes them to eternal salvation [Eph. 2:4-5.]. God’s special bounty, is the first beginning, both of salvation, and of the means thereto. This bounty is no inherent quality in us, but we are the object of it, it is a grace making us grateful, not finding us so.

Henry Ainsworth, The Old Orthodox Foundation of Religion: Left for a Patterne To a New Reformation (London: Printed by E. Cotes, and are to be sold by Michael Spark at the Blue Bible in Green Arbour, 1653), 16-17. [Some spelling modernized; some reformatting; italics original; and underlining mine.]