The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 1 · Chapter 5 · Section 1
SECT. I.
1. THis Covenant is a New Covenant; I will make a new Covenant with It is a new Covenant.the houſe of Iſrael, and with the houſe of Judah, Jet. 31. 31. Behold the dayes come, ſaith the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the houſe of Iſrael, and with the houſe of Judah, Heb. 8. 8.
In Scripture the word (New) is diverſly taken.
1. Sometimes that is ſtiled New, which ſucceeds another; in Exod. 1. 8. there The ſeveral exceptions of the word New in Scripture. It ſucceeds another Covenant.aroſe a New King; in Acts 7. 18. this New King is called another King: In this reſpect this Covenant is a New Covenant, it ſucceeds another Covenant, a former Covenan… it follows the Covenant of works.
Quest. It may be argued Why the Covenant of works ſhould be firſt, and the Covenant of grace next?
Sol. We may be ſatisfied concerning this order: Firſt, from the pleaſure of The reaſon of the order of the two Covenants.God, that he would have it thus. Secondly, from the wiſdome of God, who by this order glorifies his juſtice in the one, and his mercy in the other. Thirdly, From the capacity of man, who being at the firſt created righteous, was thereby fitted for a Covenant of works, and his created condition was unmeet for a Covenant of grace; but being fallen, his ſinful condition became fit and meet for a Covenant of grace, and utterly unfit for a Covenant of works.
2. Sometimes that is ſtiled New which is wonderful, unuſual, the like not It is a wonderful Covenant.heard of before; The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman ſhall compaſs a man, Jer. 31. 22. That a Virgin ſhould conceive and bring forth a man-childe, this was a new thing, it was wonderful indeed, ſo Iſa. 43. 19. Behold, I will do a New thing, I will even make a way in the Wilderneſſe, and Rivers in the Deſart; this was a new work, (that is) wonderful and unuſual; In this reſpect alſo is the Covenant of grace ſtiled New, (that is) it is a wonderful Covenant; how wonderful is it, that the Lord who was ſo exceedingly diſhonoured, and injured, and provoked by ſinners, ſhould yet ſo infinitely condeſcend to ſinners, as to treat afreſh with them, and to offer life unto them upon better and ſurer terms than before; and ſhould promiſe ſuch exceeding mercies, and give ſuch a gracious Redeemer and Mediator!
There are foure things wherein and for which God will be eternally admired. 1. In making this Covenant of grace. 2. In giving his only Son for a Saviour. 3. In bringing any ſinner to Chriſt, and into the Covenant. 4. In the glorifying of them that believe.
3. Sometimes that is ſtiled New, which is excellent and very neceſſary, John It is an excellent Covenant.13. 34. A New Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; this Commandment is a new Commandment; that is, it is a rare, an excellent, a neceſſary Commandment; ſo Revel. 2. 17. To him that overcomes I will give a New name; that is, an excellent name, to be one of the ſonnes of God, which is called a dignity, an excellent priviledge, John 1. 12. In this reſpect alſo is the Covenant of grace ſtiled New, it is an excellent Covenant, and very If it be conſidered,neceſſary.
It is excellent, conſider it either comparatively; no Covenant like unto this; Comparatively.that Covenant of works falls exceeding ſhort of it; and that Covenant with nature for the preſervation of common life, is not to be compared with it.
Or abſolutely in it ſelf; it is all of excellencies; an excellent love, an excellent Abſolutely.Chriſt, the moſt excellent mercies, and the onelyonly excellent happineſſe.
Or reſpectively unto us; our hopes, our helps, our comforts, our life, our Reſpectively.eternal life lies in this Covenant; all the good which we do enjoy, or can enjoy, or ſhall ever enjoy, all our ſprings are in it.
4. Sometimes that is ſtiled New, which is diverſe from what it was before; It is diverſe from the Covenant of works, and from it ſelf.2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Chriſt, he is a new creature; that is, he is not ſuch a creature as he was before; he is renewed, he is changed into the image of the glory of the Lord, 2 Cor. 3. 18. In this reſpect alſo is the Covenant ſtiled New, not only becauſe it is diverſe from the Covenant of works, (in the foundation and condition, and qualifications of the perſons in Covenant) but alſo becauſe it is diverſe from it ſelf, in reſpect of the adminiſtration of it, after that Chriſt was manifeſted in the fleſh, and died, and roſe again; from the different adminiſtration it is called Old and New.
Now it appears with open face, without any vaile of legal Shadows and Ceremonies at all. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf; and God ſo loved the world, that he gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne; and whoſoever believes duplicate page duplicate page in him ſhall not periſh, but have everlaſting life. It is now like a new Leaſe fairely written over with a new hand, and new ſeals, and new witneſſes: Though this Covenant be the ſame for ſubſtance in Abrahams and Moſes time, yet (upon the coming of Chriſt) it is new for the manner of adminiſtration; it hath not thoſe ſeals of Circumciſion and the Paſſeover, nor Sacrifices, nor Ceremonies, nor Types, and Legal Figures which formerly it had; it hath now the Mediator himſelf to deliver it, and his new ſeals of Baptiſme, and the Supper, and is eſtabliſhed after a new manner, even by the blood of Chriſt: and hath many new inſtitutions and adjuncts, &c.
This is the Covenant which God makes with us, even a New Covenant, a Covenant of life upon new termes, a Covenant which hath a new foundation, a Covenant which hath new promiſes, a Covenant which hath a new original, and ſpring, a Covenant which hath a new way of claime and title, a Covenant which gives new hopes, and a Covenant which hath new ſeals and confirmations.
Ʋſe 1 Surely there is infinite reaſon for us poor and miſerable ſinners to bleſs the Lord even for this that he hath made all things New, and eſpecially for making a new Bleſſe God for this New Covenant.Covenant; had the Lord utterly left us, when we left him; had he held us to that firſt Covenant of works, and proceeded againſt us for the breach of that Covenant, we had every one of us for ever been condemned and loſt; but he was pleaſed to make a new Covenant with us, where mercy is to be found for ſinners, and a Redeemer for tranſgreſſors, and a Mediator 'twixt himſelf and us, and our lives may yet be found in his grace and love, and Chriſt, and all this ſpringing from his own grace and love! What ſhould oblige our hearts, and raiſe our thankfulneſſe if this doth not?
2. Then there is no reaſon for distreſſed ſinners to ſink and deſpair, although they have been Covenant-breakers, and are never able to recompenſe God, nor There is no reaſon for ſinners to deſpair.to raiſe up themſelves; for this new Covenant is made for the refuge and ſupport of ſuch ſinners: And herein God reveals himſelf to be a God forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion and ſinne, and to receive ſatisfaction for a ſinner, though not from the ſinner; I ſay for a ſinner by a Mediator who hath likewiſe purchaſed reconciliation and favour, and mercy, and ſalvation for us.
3. Not to refuſe this Covenant, this new Covenant; for as it is ſaid of Chriſt, Refuſe not this Covenant.That there is no other Name given to us by which we muſt be ſaved, Acts 4. 12. ſo there is no Covenant but this new Covenant which can relieve and ſave a ſinner: as it was with men in the time of the Deluge and the Ark, all that got into the Ark were ſaved; and all who entred not into the Ark were loſt; ſo all who get into this new Covenant, they live and are ſaved; and all who enter not into this New Covenant, ſhall dye in their ſinnes and periſh.