covenant, according to the originals of the Old and New Testament—
but in the manner of revealing it; and the promises are said to be
"better promises" upon the same account, Acts 10:35.
(2.) The covenant of grace, is now more largely extended. Then it extended only to the Jews; but now it extends to all who know the
Lord, and who choose him, fear him, love him, and serve him in all nations, Col. 3:11; Neh. 7:2; Job 1:1, 8; Acts 13:22, seq.; Romans
4:18-20.
(3.) There is more abundance of the Spirit, of grace, of light, of knowledge, of holiness, poured out generally upon the people of God now—than there was in those times. Though then some few eminent saints had much of the Spirit, and much of grace and holiness, both in their hearts and lives; but now the generality of the saints have more of the Spirit, and more grace and holiness, than the generality of the saints had in those times. But,
4. Fourthly, Premise this with me—that a right notion of the covenant, according to the originals of the Old and New Testament— will conduce much to a right understanding of God's covenant. [The word covenant in our English tongue, signifies, as we all know, a mutual promise, agreement, and obligation, between two people. A covenant is a solemn compact or agreement between two chosen parties; whereby, with mutual, free, and full consent, they bind and oblige themselves one to another. A covenant is "A friendly state between allies." Martin Luther. The derivation of the Hebrew word, and of the Greek, may give us great light, and is of special use to show the nature of the covenant which they principally signify, and what special things are therein required.
(1.) The Hebrew word, Berith, a covenant, is by learned men derived from several roots:
[1.] First, Some derive it from Barar—to purify, make clear, and to purge out dross, chaff, and all uncleanness; and to select, and choose out, and separate the pure from the impure, the gold and silver from the dross, and the pure wheat from the chaff. The reasons of this derivation are these:
(1.) Because by covenants, open and clear amity is confirmed, and faithfulness is plainly and clearly declared and ratified, without deceit or fraud, between covenanters; and things are made plain and clear between them in every point and article.
(2.) Because God, in the covenant of works, did choose out man especially, with whom he made the covenant; and because in the covenant of grace, he chooses out of the multitude his elect, even his church and faithful people, whom he did separate by predestination and election from all eternity, to be a holy people to himself in Christ,
Eph. 1:4.
(3.) Some derive it from Barah, and truly, the Lord, when he makes a covenant with any, he does separate them from others, he looks on them, and takes them, and owns them for his "peculiar people," 1
Pet. 2:9, for his "peculiar treasure," Exod. 19:5, and agrees with them as the chosen and choicest of all others. The first staff in Zech. 11:10, is called "Beauty," and this was the covenant; and certainly it must be a high honor for a people to be in covenant with God; for by this means God becomes ours, and we are made near unto him, Jer.
31:38, 40-41. He is ours, and we are his, in a very peculiar way of relation; and by this means God opens his love and all his treasures of grace unto us. In his covenant he tells us of his special care, love, kindness, and great intentions of good to us; and by this means his faithfulness comes to be obliged to make good all his covenant relations and engagements to us, Deut. 7:9. Now in all this God puts a great favor and honor upon his people. Hence, when the Lord told
Abraham that he would make a covenant with him, Abraham fell upon his face; he was amazed at so great a love and honor, Gen. 17:2-
[2.] Secondly, Some derive the word from Barah—to eat, because usually they had a feast at the making of covenants. In the Eastern countries they commonly established their covenants by eating and drinking together. Herodotus tells us that the Persians were accustomed to contract leagues and friendship in a full feast, whereat their wives, children, and friends, were present. The like custom,
Tacitus reports of the Germans. Among the Greeks and other nations, the covenanters ate bread and salt together. The Emperor of
Russia, at this day, when he would show extraordinary grace and favor unto any, sends him bread and salt from his table. When he invited Baron Sigismund, he did it in this form: "Sigismund, you shall eat our bread and salt with us." Hence that symbol of
Pythagoras, "break no bread," is interpreted by Erasmus and others to mean, "break no friendship."
Moreover, the Egyptians, Thracians, and Lybians in special, are said to have used to make leagues, and contract friendships—by presenting a cup of wine one to another; which custom we find still in use among our western nations. It has been the universal custom of mankind, and still remains in use, to contract covenants, and make leagues and friendship—by eating and drinking together.
When Isaac made a covenant with Abimelech, the king of Gerar, the text says, "He made him, and those that were with him, a feast; and they did eat and drink, and rose up early in the morning, and swore one to another," Gen. 26:30-31. When Jacob made a covenant with
Laban, after they had sworn together, he made him a feast, "and called his brethren to eat bread," says the text, Gen. 31:54. When
David made a covenant with Abner, upon his promise of bringing all
Israel unto him, David made "Abner and the men who were with him a feast," says the text, 2 Sam. 3:20. Hence, in the Hebrew tongue a covenant is called Berith, of Barak to eat, as if they should say an eating; which derivation is so natural, that it deserves, say some, to be preferred before the other signification of the same verb, which is to choose.
Now they that derive Berith from Barah, which signifies to eat and refresh one's self with a meal, they give this reason for that derivation, namely, because the old covenant of God, made with man in the creation, was a covenant wherein the condition or law was about eating; that man should eat of all the trees and fruits, except of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Gen. 2:16-17; and in the solemn making and sealing of the covenant of grace in Christ, the blessed seed, the public ceremony was slaying and sacrificing of animals, and eating some part of them, after the fat and the choice parts were offered up and burned on the altar. For God, by virtue of that covenant, gave man leave to eat the flesh of animals, Deut.
12:27, which he might not do in the state of innocency, Gen. 1:29, being limited to fruits of trees, and herbs bearing seed, for his meat.
So, also, in solemn covenants between men, the parties were accustomed to eat together, Gen. 31:46.
[3.] Thirdly, Others derive the word Berith from Bara, or Barah, to smite, strike, cut, or divide, as both these words signify. The word also signifies to elect or choose; and the reasons they give for this derivation, are these two:
First, Because covenants are not made, but by choice persons, chosen out one by another, and about choice matters, and upon choice conditions; chosen out, and agreed upon by both parties.
Secondly, Because, in making of covenants, commonly sacrifices were stricken and slain, for confirmation and solemnity. Of old, God sealed his covenants by sacrifices of animals slain, divided, and cut asunder, and the choice fat, and other parts, offered upon the altar.
And in making of great and solemn covenants, men, in old time, were accustomed to kill and cut asunder sacrificed animals; and to pass between the parts divided, for a solemn testimony, or for the confirmation of the covenants that they had made, Gen. 15:9-10, 17.
[Jer. 34:18-20, and Lev. 26:25. Weigh well these two scriptures.
Covenant breakers may well look upon them as flaming swords, as terrible thunderbolts.]
And as learned men have long since observed, that the very heathen, in their covenanting, used sacrifices, and divided them, passing between the parts; and this they did, as some conjecture, in imitation of God's people.
This third opinion, is the common opinion, about the original of this name; and therefore preferred before all others. So this word Berith, covenant, seems to sound as much as Kerith, a smiting or striking, because of sacrifices slain in covenanting. Hence the word covenant is often joined with Karath, which signifies striking of covenant. An example of this beyond all exception, says my author, is in that sacrifice, wherein God by Moses, made a covenant with all the people of Israel, and bound them to obey his law: the description of it is in
Exodus 24:4-8, "Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord's instructions. Early the next morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars around the altar, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent some of the young men to sacrifice young bulls as burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. Moses took half the blood from these animals and drew it off into basins. The other half he splashed against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They all responded again, "We will do everything the Lord has commanded.
We will obey." Then Moses sprinkled the blood from the basins over the people and said, "This blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these laws."
[Ancient covenants were made with blood, to betoken constancy in the covenant, even to the shedding of blood, and loss of life.] I shall not trouble my reader with that mystical and too curious a sense, that some of the ancients put upon these words. The historical sense is here more fit: for in this ceremony of dividing the blood in two parts, and so besprinkling the altar with the one half, which represented God; and the people with the other, between whom the covenant was confirmed, the old use in striking of covenants is observed. For the ancient custom was, that they which made a league or covenant, divided some animals, and put the parts asunder, walking in the midst; signifying that as the animal was divided, so they should be, who broke the covenant. So when Saul went against the Ammonites, coming out of the field, he hewed two oxen, and sent them into all the coasts of Israel, 1 Sam. 11:7; expressing the like signification, that so should his oxen be served, which came not forth after Saul and Samuel. After the same manner, when God made a covenant with Abraham, Gen. 15:12-19, and he had divided certain animals, as God had commanded him, and laid one part against another, a smoking firebrand went between, representing God, signifying, that so he who violated the covenant should be divided.
So in this place, not much unlike; the blood is parted in twain, showing that so should his blood be shed, who kept not the covenant.
[4.] Fourthly, Some derive the word Berith from Bara, to create; and the reason they give for this derivation is this—because the first state of creation was confirmed by the covenant which God made with man, and all creatures were to be upheld by means of observing of the law and condition of the covenant. And that covenant being broken by man, the world, made subject to ruin, is upheld, yes, and as it were created anew, by the covenant of grace in Christ.
[5.] Fifthly, Some derive the word Berith from Berath, which signifies firmness, sureness, because covenants are firm and sure, and all things agreed on are confirmed and made sure by them. God's covenant is a sure covenant: Deut. 7:9, "The Lord your God, he is the faithful God," or the God of truth, "who keeps covenant with those who love him." Psalm 89:34, "My covenant will I not break"—
Hebrew, "I will not profane" "nor alter the thing which have gone out of my lips." [Jer. 31:31, 33, 35-37; Psalm 19:7; Rev. 3:14; Isaiah
54:10.] All God's precepts, all God's predictions, all God's threatenings, and all God's promises—are the expression of a most just, faithful, and righteous will. There are three things that God cannot do:
(1.) He cannot die.
(2.) He cannot lie: Titus 1:2, "In hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began."
(3.) He cannot deny himself.
Now the derivation of Berith, from the several roots specified, and not from one only, does give much light to the point under consideration; and does reconcile in one, all the several opinions of the learned, and justifies their several derivations, without rejecting or offering any wrong or disgrace to any.
(2.) Secondly, The Greek name Diatheke, a covenant or a testament.
By this Greek word the Septuagint, does commonly express the
Hebrew word Berith; and it is observable that this is the only word by which the Hebrew word Berith is rendered in the New Testament.
This Greek word, diatheke, is translated covenant in the New
Testament about twenty times; and the same word is translated testament in the New Testament about twelve times. [Heb. 8:6-10, and 1:4; Luke 1:72; Romans 9:4, etc.; Mat. 26:28; Luke 22:20, etc.]
Wherever you find the word covenant in the New Testament, there you shall find Diatheke; and wherever you find the word testament in the New Testament, there you shall find Diatheke; so that it is of importance for us to understand this word aright.
Now this Greek word is derived from Diatithemi, which has several of the significations of the Hebrew words of which Berith is derived; for it signifies to set things in order and frame, to appoint orders, and make laws, to pacify and make satisfaction, and to dispose things by one's last will and testament. Now to compose and set things in order is to uphold the creation; to walk by orders and laws made and appointed is to walk by rule, and to live, to deal plainly and faithfully without deceit. To pacify and make satisfaction includes sacrifices and sin-offerings. To dispose by will and testament implies choice of persons and gifts; for men do commonly by will give their best and most choice things to their most dear and most choice friends. Thus the Greek which the apostles use in the New Testament to signify a covenant, to express the Hebrew word Berith, which is used in the law and the prophets, does confirm our derivation of it from all the words before named.
And this derivation of the Hebrew and Greek names of a covenant being thus laid down, and confirmed by the reasons formerly cited, is of great USE. The various acceptance and use of these two names in the Old and New Testament is very considerable for the opening of the covenant:
First, To show unto us the full signification of the word covenant, and what the nature of a covenant is in general.
Second, To justify the several acceptations of the word, and to show the nature of every word in particular, and so to make way for the knowledge of the agreement, and difference between the old and new covenant. Here, as in a crystal glass, you may see that this word
Berith, and this word Diatheke, signify all covenants in general, whether they are religious or civil; for there is nothing in any true covenant which is not comprised in the signification of these words, being expounded according to the former derivations. Here also we