Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant
they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write
it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his
neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto
the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
That God will renew his covenant with them, so that all these blessings
they shall have, not by providence only, but by promise, and thereby they shall be both sweetened and secured. But this covenant
refers to gospel times, the latter days that shall come; for of gospel grace the apostle understands it, where this
whole passage is quoted as a summary of the covenant of grace made with believers in Jesus Christ. Who the persons are
with whom this covenant is made--with the house of Israel and Judah, with the gospel church, the Israel of God
on which peace shall be, with the spiritual seed of believing Abraham and praying Jacob. Judah and Israel had been
two separate kingdoms, but were united after their return, in the joint favours God bestowed upon them; so Jews and Gentiles
were in the gospel church and covenant. What is the nature of this covenant in general: it is a new covenant and not
according to the covenant made with them when they came out of Egypt; not as if that made with them at Mount Sinai were
a covenant of nature and innocency, such as was made with Adam in the day he was created; no, that was, for substance, a covenant
of grace, but it was a dark dispensation of that covenant in comparison with this in gospel times. Sinners were saved by that
covenant upon their repentance, and faith in a Messiah to come, whose blood, confirming that covenant, was typified by that
of the legal sacrifices. Yet this may upon many accounts be called new, in comparison with that; the ordinances and promises
are more spiritual and heavenly, and the discoveries much more clear. That covenant God made with them when he took them
by the hand, as they had been blind, or lame, or weak, to lead them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant they broke.
It was God that made this covenant, but it was the people that broke it; for our salvation is of God, but our sin and ruin
are of ourselves. It was an aggravation of their breach of it that God was a husband to them, that he had espoused
them to himself; it was a marriage-covenant that was between him and them, which they broke by idolatry, that spiritual adultery.
It is a great aggravation of our treacherous departures from God that he has been a husband to us, a loving, tender, careful
husband, faithful to us, and yet we false to him. What are the particular articles of his covenant. They all contain spiritual
blessings; not, "I will give them the land of Canaan and a numerous issue," but, "I will give them pardon, and peace, and
grace, good heads and good hearts."
He promises,
(1.) That he will incline them to their duty; I will put my law in
their inward part and write it in their heart; not, I will give them a new law (as Mr. Gataker well observes), for Christ
came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; but the law shall be written in their hearts by the finger of the Spirit
as formerly it was written in the tables of stone. God writes his law in the hearts of all believers, makes it ready and familiar
to them, at hand when they have occasion to use it, as that which is written in the heart. He makes them in care to
observe it, for that which we are solicitous about is said to lie near our hearts. He works in them a disposition to obedience,
a conformity of thought and affection to the rules of the divine law, as that of the copy to the original. This is here promised,
and ought to be prayed for, that our duty may be done conscientiously and with delight.
(2.) That he will take them into relation to himself: I will be their
God, a God all-sufficient to them, and they shall be my people, a loyal obedient people to me. God's being to us
a God is the summary of all happiness; heaven itself is no more. Our being to him a people may be taken either as the condition
on our part (those and those only shall have God to be to them a God that are truly willing to engage themselves to be to
him a people) or as a further branch of the promise that God will by his grace make us his people, a willing people, in
the day of his power; and, whoever are his people, it is his grace that makes them so.
(3.) That there shall be an abundance of the knowledge of God among all
sorts of people, and this will have an influence upon all good: for those that rightly know God's name will seek him, and
serve him, and put their trust in him: All shall know me; all shall be welcome to the knowledge of God and shall have
the means of that knowledge; his ways shall be known upon earth, whereas, for many ages, in Judah only was God known.
Many more shall know God than did in the Old Testament times, which among the Gentiles were times of ignorance, the true God
being to them an unknown God. The things of God shall in gospel times be made more plain and intelligible, and level to the
capacities of the meanest, than they were while Moses had a veil upon his face. There shall be such a general knowledge
of God that there shall not be so much need as had formerly been of teaching. Some take it as a hyperbolical expression (and
the dulness of the Jews needed such expressions to awaken them), designed only to show that the knowledge of God in gospel
times should vastly exceed that knowledge of him which they had under the law.
Or perhaps it intimates that in gospel times
there shall be such great plenty of public preaching, statedly and constantly, by men authorized and appointed to preach
the word in season and out of season, much beyond what was under the law, that there shall be less need than there was
then of fraternal teaching, by a neighbour and a brother.
The priests preached but now and then, and in
the temple, and to a few in comparison; but now all shall or may know God by frequenting the assemblies of Christians, wherein,
through all parts of the church, the good knowledge of God shall be taught. In short, the things of God shall by the gospel
of Christ be brought to a clearer light than ever, and the people of God shall by the grace of Christ be brought to a clearer
sight of those things than ever.
That in order to all these blessings, sin shall
be pardoned. This is made the reason of all the rest: For I will forgive their iniquity, will not impute that to them,
nor deal with them according to the desert of that, will forgive and forget: I will remember their sin no more.
It is sin that keeps good things from us, that stops the current of God's favours; let sin betaken away by pardoning mercy,
and the obstruction is removed, and divine grace runs down like a river, like a mighty stream.
1. regenration--God will put His law in their inward parts and
write it in their hearts, 31:33;
2. a national restoration--Yahweh will be their God and the nation
will be His people, 31:33.
3. personal ministry of the Holy Spirit--they will all be taught
individually by God, 31:34;
4. full justification--their sins will be forgiven and completely
removed, 31:34.
The New Covenant is made sure by the blood that Jesus shed
on Calvary's cross. That blood which guarantees to Israel its New Covenant also provides for the forgiveness of sins for
the believers who comprise the church. Jesus' payment for sins is more than adequate to pay for the sins of all of
all who will believe in Him. The New Covenant is called "new" in contrast to the covenant with Moses which is called
"old" (Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrew 8:6-13 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is
the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been
faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the
days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the
land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the
covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and
write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach
every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish
away. In this part of the chapter, the apostle illustrates and confirms the superior excellency of the priesthood
of Christ above that of Aaron, from the excellency of that covenant, or that dispensation of the covenant of grace, of which
Christ was the Mediator: his ministry is more excellent, by how much
he is the Mediator of a better covenant. The body and soul too of all divinity (as some observe) consist very much in rightly
distinguishing between the two covenants--the covenant of works and the covenant of grace; and between the two dispensations
of the covenant of grace--that under the Old Testament and that under the New.
I. What is here said of the old covenant, or rather
of the old dispensation of the covenant of grace: of this it is said, That it was made with the fathers of the Jewish
nation at mount Sinai, and Moses was the Mediator of that covenant,
when God took them by the hand, to lead them out of the land of Egypt, which intimates the great affection, condescension,
and tender care of God towards them. That this covenant was not found faultless; it was a dispensation of darkness and dread, tending to bondage, and only a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ; it
was perfect in its kind, and fitted to answer its end, but very imperfect in comparison of the gospel. That it was not sure
or stedfast; for the Jews continued not in that covenant, and the Lord regarded them not. They dealt ungratefully with their God, and cruelly with themselves, and fell under God's displeasure.
God will regard those who remain in his covenant, but will reject those who cast away his yoke from them. That it is decayed,
grown old, and vanisheth away. It is antiquated, canceled, out of date,
of no more use in gospel times than candles are when the sun has risen. Some think the covenant of peculiarity did not quite
decay till the destruction of Jerusalem, though it was forfeited at the death of Christ, and was made old, and was now to
vanish and perish, and the Levitical priesthood vanished with it.
What is here said of the New-Testament dispensation,
to prove the superior excellency of Christ's ministry. It is said, that
it is a better covenant, a more clear and comfortable dispensation
and discovery of the grace of God to sinners, bringing in holy light and liberty to the soul. It is without fault, well ordered
in all things. It requires nothing but what it promises grace to perform. It accepts of godly sincerity, accounting it gospel
perfection. Every transgression does not turn us out of covenant; all is put into a good and safe hand.
That it is established upon better promises, more clear and express,
more spiritual, more absolute. The promises of spiritual and eternal blessings are in this covenant positive and absolute;
the promises of temporal blessings are with a wise and kind proviso, as far as shall be for God's glory and his people's good.
This covenant contains in it promises of assistance and acceptance in duty, promises of progress and perseverance in grace
and holiness, of bliss and glory in heaven, which were more obscurely shadowed forth by the promises of the land of Canaan,
a type of heaven.
It is a new covenant, even that new covenant that God long ago declared
he would make with the house of Israel, that is, all the Israel of God; this was promised in, and accomplished in Christ. This will always be a new covenant, in which all who truly take hold of it shall be always
found preserved by the power of God. It is God's covenant; his mercy, love, and grace moved for it; his wisdom devised it;
his Son purchased it; his wisdom devised it; his Son purchased it; his Spirit brings souls into it, and builds them up in
it.
The articles of this covenant are very extraordinary, which are sealed
between God and his people by baptism and the Lord's supper; whereby they bind themselves to their part, and God assures them
he will do his part; and his is the main and principal part, on which his people depend for grace and strength to do theirs.
Here, God articles with his people that he will put his laws
into their minds and write them in their hearts. He once wrote
his laws to them, now he will write his laws in them; that is, he will give them understanding to know and to believe his
law; he will give them memories to retain them; he will give them hearts to love them and consciences to recognize them; he
will give them courage to profess them and power to put them in practice; the whole habit and frame of their souls shall be
a table and transcript of the law of God. This is the foundation of the covenant; and, when this is laid, duty will be done
wisely, sincerely, readily, easily, resolutely, constantly, and comfortably.
He articles with them to take them into a near and very honourable relation
to himself.
[1.] He will be to them a God; that is, he will be all that to them, and
do all that for them, that God can be and do. Nothing more can be said in a thousand volumes than is comprehended in these
few words: I will be a God to them. [2.] They shall be to him a people, to love, honour, observe, and obey him in all
things; complying with his cautions, conforming to his commands, comporting with his providences, copying out his example,
taking complacency in his favour. This those must do and will do who have God for their God; this they are bound to do as
their part of the contract; this they shall do, for God will enable them to do it, as an evidence that he is their God and
that they are his people; for it is God himself who first founds the relation, and then fills it up with grace suitable and
sufficient, and helps them in their measure to fill it up with love and duty; so that God engages both for himself and them.
He articles with them that they shall grow more and more acquainted with
their God: They shall all know me from the least to the greatest,
insomuch that there shall not be so much need of one neighbour teaching another the knowledge of God. Here observe,
[1.] In the want of better instruction, one neighbour should be teaching
another to know the Lord, as they have ability and opportunity for it.
[2.] This private instruction shall not be so necessary under the New Testament
as it was under the Old. The old dispensation was shadowy, dark, ritual, and less understood; their priests preached but seldom,
and but a few at a time, and the Spirit of God was more sparingly given out. But under the new dispensation there shall be
such abundance of public qualified preachers of the gospel, and dispensers of ordinances statedly in the solemn assemblies,
and so great a flocking to them, as doves to their windows, and such a plentiful effusion of the Spirit of God to make the
ministration of the gospel effectual, that there shall be a mighty increase and spreading of Christian knowledge in persons
of all sorts, of each sex, and of all ages. O that this promise might be fulfilled in our days, that the hand of God may be
with his ministers, that a great number may believe and be turned to the Lord!
God articles with them about the pardon of their sins, as what always accompanies
the true knowledge of God: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness.
[1.] The freeness of this pardon. It does not result from merit in man,
but from mercy in God; he pardons for his own name's sake.
[2.] The fullness of this pardon; it extends to their unrighteousness,
sins, and iniquities; to all kinds of sin, to sins highly aggravated.
[3.] The fixedness of this pardon. It is so final and so fixed that God
will remember their sins no more; he will not recall his pardon; he will not only forgive their sins, but forget them, treat
them as if he had forgotten them. This pardoning mercy is connected with all other spiritual mercies. Unpardoned sin prevents
mercy, and pulls down judgments; but the pardon of sin prevents judgment, and opens a wide door to all spiritual blessings;
it is the effect of that mercy that is from everlasting, and the earnest of that mercy that shall be to everlasting. This
is the excellency of the new dispensation, and these are the articles of it; and therefore we have no reason to repine, but
great reason to rejoice that the former dispensation is antiquated and has vanished away.) because it actually accomplishes what the Mosaic Covenant could only point to, that is, the child of God
living in a manner that is consistent with the character of God.
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