rit, to enable Man to perform the Conditions which God requireth from him, to repent, and helieve, and obey the Redeemer, ard wholly to rely upon his Sacrifice for God's Favourzas by his Interceſſion hc ſecures to them a't the Bletfings of God's Covenant for Time and Eternitv, as proved chap. 9, s The Goſpe! Covenant, which was. a 'Tmemn Agreement between an offended God and Sinners, whercin ne binds himfelt to give forth Pardon and Lite to them upon Cer- ain Conditions ; and they bind themſelves to perform, in;order to he ohtaining theſe. intercetfion of Chriſt the Mediator between them, who became 4 <urety for the performance of it, and folemnly ratited and con- tirmed it by the Sacritice of himſelf; as other Covenants were by the Biovd of tedera! Sarrinces, of which we have frequent mention 1n tie Scripture, called b2rter then the Moſaical Covenant not tor che matter of it, but for the manner of exhibifion, chap. 7. 22. be- ing comparatively a greater Good than that which vas leis, Ga/. 3+
. z
. d
HEBREW S.
. © "A | Which Covenant was brought about by the |
£ Winch Goſpel Covenant Was revs uc3rrre:, 45 the Moſaical one. |
emtirmed, ratified, and eſtabliſhed by the Blood ot the Sacrince, ac- -ording fo the {.zp, chap. 0.18, to21. This was its Santion, 1f was hy it ſetled unchangeable, attended with, and founded on the bit Promiſes, ſuch as were more ſpiritual, clear, extenfive and un!- verial than thote in tae Moſuical Covenant were, :
2 For if rhar fhrit covenant had been faultlels z. then ſhoul4 no place have been fought tor the 1-- cond ww. |
u This proves the Goſpel-Covenant better than the Moſatcal ; tor it it had not, there would have been no fecond. That firft Covenant of which Moſes was the Mediator, as to its Adminittration of it (as to the matter of it, it was the ſame trom Adam, through- out all Ages) was fau!ty, not becauſe God made it, though 1t was a leſs perfet Good, that what ſucceeded it. It was able to lave thoſe who would rightly uſe it, and come unto Chriſt by it, G/. 3. 24. but acc:dentally\zy reaſon, of the Prieſts Faults, and Peoples finfulneſs, it became wholly ineff=ual to them for ſaving them, theretore the blame and fant ot 1t is charged on them, ver. 8. w The quettion here 1s. vehemently aflertive, if that Covenant in its Moſaical Adminittration had reached effettually its end, brouyht
all that were under it to Chriſt, to be 1aved by him, noplace nor |
room was there, that then being to perrett, for an other to ſucceed it, God would have refted there; but his excellent Wildom and Countel determined to put in being the /econd, and to ſet 1t in the
place of the fir that was f.ulty, and which was*to be abrogated by
W. Gai. 3. 28.
| 1,7 mo "MA "BIEN 4 ©. - fs K | Negtoct them toy the: Fi elcners fo Num m0 fr.)
CC
$ For finding fiulr with them x, he faith, Behold, the days come y, {1irh the Lord z, when will make
I
2 new covenant with the houle of Iirae], and rhe houſe of Judah : E
x This is the proof ot the faultineſs of the Moſaical Covenant, from the right caute of it, thoſe who did abute it; The Lord by the Prophet Jerem:ah, being diſtaſted and offended, accuſeth, and
with Complaints and Aggravations chargeth the Houtes of Frael and.
Judih, both Prietts and People for truſtrating God's Covenant with them by their Unbeliet, mittaking God's Mind in it, anc uting 17 to ##/Iiftie them, and not bring them unto Chriſt, who juſtiteth the ungodly. That the Covenant . was not faulty 11 1t ſelt, but only accidentally, is evident; for it was given to change Hearts, though its ſpiritual efficacy was not fo fully revealed, Devt. 10. 15. and 30.6, For Mes, Foſhur, Samuel, David, were ſaved by the right uſe of 1t. It id not bind them y "rk; to obtain Fuſfrfcation, for it was delivered with B!oad, which taught them it was to be had only by Fait!) in Ch11ſi's Blood, But when they would not be led to Chriſt by it, they were fay/ty, and not the Covenant, and lo they periſhed in their gainfaying. The Admiſtration of th1> Covenant
by Men being fo defettive, he finds fault with them, and reſolves |
> = T wy 4 As 3. , 5 , Dots t y PTC AQ "Hy - J . - _ 2 s F* fi on the Change ct the Adminiftration. y Beho!d, 1mports Atfentt- | uvvn the fulnefs of tiwe for the Mefftuh's Revelation is come, GQ!. on to, and Obſervation ot the rare, excellent, and important thing | :
propoſed in the Word to the Eye and Mind of thofe for whom 1t
was written, and to whom it is ſent : fo is this here in Ferem? th, | The days of the Meſſiah s coming in the Fleſh, when a Wo- |
Sh 48:
| ITE nanifieth the breaking and making vurd the Covenant
| whic't by the Prophet 1s expretied
man ſhall compar? a Man, as Fer. 31. 22. the known times of Grace, ,
Fer. 23.5, 6. A time to come when the Prophet wrote it, palt when the Apoſtle quotes it here ; fo ordered by God to teach thole there the Impertetion of that Covenant- Admiſtration, fo as they might make out to Chriſt byit, and not reft in it, as he had revea]- ed to them in the Prophecy; and to ſtrengthen Believers 10 their Faith in Chriſt when coine, and to convince and leave incxcaſable ſuch Jews as would not believe in him, and further to confirm his Prieſt-hood. x This 1s not an invention of the Prophet, but a Revelation of the Supream Lord to him. It is his certain, true, and infallible Speech, illuminating his Mind by it, and directing him in his Words and Writinzs for to convey it tothoſe to whom he ſent him, ſo that the Word 15 firm, and worthy of all acceptation ; and the more of the Hebr-2ws, becauſe ſent by Feremiah a Levitical Prieft to. them, a #/ will make perfe# and compleat. In the Pro- phet it 1s (W119 I will Ririks or cut 4 becauſe in Covenant-making the Sacrifices were cut aſunder; and thenceis it transferred figura- tively, to ſignifie Covenant-maling. A Covenant for form and man- ner of Adminiſtration ſecond, later, better, ſtronger and more ex- cellent than the Moſaical ; tuch as ſhould be effettual - to God's ſa- ving ends in the Miniſtry of Chriſt, with the whole Seed of ]acob, the viſible Church of God, when the rrophet wrought this, divided into two Kingdoms, of 17.e! and Jud.th, and that of Tae! removed a far off by the Aſſerian, and ſeemins]y loſt, but by this Covenant to be made one People again, and to be ſaved by Chrit-David their King, Jer. 23. 5, 5. Etek. 37. 21, to 28.
9 Not according to the Covenant that I niade with