A Communicant Instructed, Part 1 · Section 4
4. Knowledge of the New Covenant.
Knowledge of the New Covenant is the fourth point of knowledge, requisite to a worthy Communicant before receiving of the Lords Supper. In the Institution of the Lords Supper, it is said of the Cup, zMat. 26.28.This is my blood of the New Testament. That is, this Wine in the Cup is a Signe and Seal of my blood by which the New Testament is ratified. So that by the Lords Supper the New Testament or New Covenant is confirmed to us; and in receiving the Lords Supper, we renew Co…enant with God. This we cannot do judiciously, unle…s we competently understand the nature of the New Covenant.
Now for the opening of the New Covenant in some measure: Consider these following Propositions, which may afford some true taste of the nature of the New Covenant.
1. The New Covenant is not the same Covenant which God aGen. 2.16, 17.made with Adam in Innocency: but far different from it, and that in divers particulars. For,
1. The Covenant with Adam, was a Covenant of amity or friendship made by God with him, as by a Creator with his creature: But the new Covenant is a Covenant of b2 Cor. …5.19, 20.reconciliation made by God as a Redeemer with the sinner.
2. The Covenant with Adam was upon cGen. 2.16, 17. Gal. 3.10.tearms of personal, perfect, and perpetual Obedience to the Moral Law written in his heart, the curse and death being threatned to the least transgression thereof: But the New Covenant is upon tearms of dRom. 3.36. & 4.5. & ….33▪Faith and new obedience, as the fruit thereof, and testification of our thankfulness. The eZech. 12.10.Spirit of Grace, being promised to work that faith and obedience whereunto eternal lif… is promised, &c.
3. The Covenant with Adam, was with a person, fEccle. 7.29.perfectly able to fulfil the Covenant in his own pe…son alone: The New Covenant is with persons, gRom. ….6. 2 Cor. 3.5.unable of themselves to do any thing acceptably before God without divine Grace assisting, and therefore performing Covenant onelyonly in Jesus Christ their Surety.
4. The Covenant with Adam was w…hout a Mediator; Adam in his innocency n…eding no Mediator of Redemption or Reconciliation: But the New Covenant is with a hHe. 8.6.Med…ator Jesus Christ, most nec…ssary unto sinners for their salvation.
II. The New Covenant is the same in substance and essential constitution; but far different in circumstance and manner of administration from the Old Covenant. By (Old Covenant) I understand iEph. 2.12The Covenant of promise; That is to say, all the Covenants and Promises touching Christ, from the first promise of kGen. 3.15.The seed of the woman immediately after the fall, till Christs incarnation, which were made first to Adam, and renewed after to lGen. 17.1 2, &c.Abram, mEx. 34.27.28. Deut. 5.2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c. and 29.1.Moses, n2 Sam. 23.5. with Psal. 89.3, to 38.David, and oEzek. 11.16, to 21. and 36.24. to the end.Israel. These are called The Covenants of promise, because they were made in Christ as then only promised, not actually performed; and Covenants, not Covenant; because though but one Covenant, yet severall times renewed, & that with considerable enlargements from time to time.
Now this New Covenant is the same for substance with that Old Covenant, called pEph. 2.1, 2The Covenant of promise. For, 1. They are both of them the Covenant of …race, not of Nature. 2. They are both of them the Covenant of Reconciliation with corrupted mankind, not of amity and friendship with incorrupted mankind. 3. Jesus Christ was the Mediatour of them both: though with some difference. Typically he was Mediatour of the Old Testament or Covenant, but Truly of the New. 4. The termes or conditions of them both were the same, viz. faith in Jesus Christ the Mediatour, not works. 5. The benefits and spirituall advantages of both were the same in the blood of Christ. viz. Pardon of sinne; Sanctification of our natures; Enjoyment of gracious interest in, and Communion with God; & Eternal happinesse at last with Christ in heaven, as the tenour of them clearly evidenceth. Herein the Old and New Couenant do notably agree.
But they differ only in some Circumstances, and the manner of Administration. For 1. The Old Covenant was dark and obscure. All the spiritual mysteries therein being clouded in types and shadowes: A typicall Priesthood, typical Sacrifices, typical Altar and Tabernacle, typical blood, typical Mediatour, typical Sacraments, typical Canaan, all typical. Hence in the promulgation of this Old Covenant in Sinai, the Jews qHeb. 12.18.came unto blacknesse and darknesse. But the new Covenant is r2. Cor. 3.7, to the end.bright and clear, being administred without all types and shadowes, (Christ the body being comn already) in open spiritual glory. The Mosaical s2 Cor 3.14.18.veile is done away in Christ, — And we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord. 2. The Old Covenant was carnal and earthly in the administration of it: They tHeb. 12.18, 19.came to the Mount, that m…ght be touched, and to the sound of a Trumpet, and the voice of words: And it brought them to an earthly Canaan, and an earthly Ierusalem. But the New Covenant is dispenced spiritually bringing us to the spiritual Canaan, uHeb. 12.22.To Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; That we may xJohn. 4.23, 24.worship God, the God of Spirits, in Spirit and Truth 3. The Old Covenant was more imperfect, according to the imperfect state of the Church in those times, (which the Apostle compares to yGal. 4.1.2, 3.A child in his non-age and minority.) And so it was revealed more and more clearly by degrees, as the Church grew riper and riper till Christs coming. But the New Covenant is perfect and full, never more to be enlarged or encreased till the end of the world, it being revealed, in Christ fulfilled, and comne in the flesh already. 4 The Old Covenant was terrible in the manner of its dispensation, making not only the zHeb. 12.19, 20, 21.People tremble but even Moses himselfe exceedingly to fear and quake. But the New Covenant is dispensed with all inviting amiableness, and alluring sweetness, every thing herein being sweet, pleasant, and delectable nothing at all terrible: As appears in that admirable passage to the a]Heb. 12.22, to 25.Hebrews. And if it be said; God the judge of all there mentioned is terrible. I answer, No; God the judge of all is not terrible to them that come into Covenant with him; for he is a Iudge absolv…ng them, & only a Iudge condemning His and all their enemies; and that is most comfortable. 5. That Old Covenant was limited and restrained to the people of the Jews onelyonly, and to those that became Jewish Proselytes: Gentiles were all bEph. 1.12.Strangers to the Covenant of Promise, But the New Covenant is unlimited, universally extended both to cEph. 2.14, to 20.Jews and Gentiles …f all sorts. Thus the Old and New Covenant especially differ.
III. The New Covenant gloriously assures them that embrace it, dHeb. 8.10, 11, 12.That God will write his law in their mindes and heart; That he will be to them a God, and they shall be to him a people; That they all shall know him from the least to the greatest; And that he will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and remember their sins and iniquities no more. This is the chief tenor and substance of the New Covenant. Glorious Priviledges! Here consider and admire them, viz.
1. Gods Inscription of his Law, e2 Cor. 3.3.Not in Tables of stone, as of old, but in the fleshy living Tables of his peoples mindes and hearts. That writing was without, this within. That was broken, this shall not be broken: Hereby they shall be kept from back-sliding.
2. Gods new relation to his people, and theirs to him, covenanted and promised, He will be to them a God: not onelyonly a Portion, a Protection, a Friend, a Redeemer, a Savior, a Comforter, a Father, an Hushand, &c. but beyond all these, A God; and beyond God, there can be nothing. This is the excellentest bl…ssing that can be promised; and the highest promise that can be made. If God will be a God to his People, consequently he will be All to his people. And they shall be to him a People: not only their thoughts, words, and actions, his; nor only their minds, or wils, or affections, his; nor only their sen…es, or members, or bodies, his, &c. But they, whole they, whatsoever they are, can do, or endure for him, must be wholly his. This is the greatest duty, and the highest obligation that can be upon any people. But this is the comfort: God here undertakes for both sides, for both Parties to the Covenant; for Himself, that he will be theirs; for his people, that they shall be his. So that th…e shall be no failing on either side.
3. Gods univers… … …ore perfect illumination of his people, with the knowledge of himself. They shall not be so dull of understanding as the Jewes of old, nor divine knowledge be so restrained to one sort of people; but more generally to all sorts of people, and more compleatly in all degrees of knowledge The fIsa. 11.9.Knowledge of the Lord shall fill the earth, as the waters cover the Sea.
4. Gods merciful and eternal Act of oblivion, past upon their sins and iniquities. There shall not be, as of old under the Old Covenant, a gHe…. 10.1, 2, 3.yearly and daily remembrance of their sins, by their yearly and daily sacrifices repeated, which in effect was a re-iteration, or continuation of their arreignment, indictment and condemnation for their sins: But an utter blotting out of their iniquities, by the blood of Christ once offered for ever; so that they shall never be remembred more to their condemnation.
IV. The New Covenant-Priviledges can actually be claimed by none but those that are effectually made Partakers of the New Covenant-Grace. None can say, That God is their God in Covenant, and he will remember their sins no more: till they can truly say, The Lord hath written his law in their hearts, and made them know him. For, carnal unregenerate men who seek not for a saving interest in Christ the second …am, according to the tenour of the New …, they do evidently content the… … with their lapsed condition in the first Adam, and so remaine still under the forfeit, penalty, and curse of the first Covenant of Works, broken by Adams fall.
These things are principally to be known touching the New covenant by worthy Communicants, that they may have a true notion or apprehension of that Covenant which is sea…ed unto them by t…e Lords Supper.