The extract below is taken from Usrinus's Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism.  The book itself can be read here.  I still need to clean up the text, but for now here is a raw extraction of the substance of his commentary from a computer OCR scan. 

 

 

[pg. 96] OF THE COVENANT OF GOD.

It has been shown, that a Mediator is one who reconciles parties that are
at variance, as God and men. This reconciliation is called in the Scrip
tures a Covenant, which has particular reference to the Mediator, inasmuch
as every mediator is the mediator of some covenant, and the reconciler of
two opposing parties. Hence the doctrine of the Covenant which God made
with man, is closely connected with the doctrine of the Mediator. The
principal questions which claim our attention in the consideration of this
subject, are the following :



THE COVENANT. [pg. 97]

I. What is this Covenant?

II. Was it possible without a Mediator ?

III. Is it one, or more than one?

IV. In what do the old and new Covenants agree, and in what do they

differ?

I. WHAT is THIS COVENANT ?

A covenant in general is a mutual contract, or agreement between two
parties, in which the one party binds itself to the other to accomplish some
thing upon certain conditions, giving or receiving something, which is
accompanied with certain outward signs and symbols, for the purpose of
ratifying in the most solemn manner the contract entered into, and for the
sake of confirming it, that the engagement may be kept inviolate. From
this general definition of a covenant, it is easy to perceive what we are to
understand by the Covenant here spoken of, which we may define as a
mutual promise and agreement, between God and men, in which God gives
assurance to men that he will be merciful to them, remit their sins, grant
unto them a new righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life by and for
the sake of his Son, our Mediator. And, on the other side, men bind them
selves to God in this covenant that they will exercise repentance and faith.
or that they will receive with a true faith this great benefit which God
offers, and render such obedience as will be acceptable to him. This mu
tual engagement between God and man is confirmed by those outward signs
which we call sacraments, which are holy signs, declaring and sealing unto
us God s good will, and our thankfulness and obedience.

A testament is the last will of a testator, in which he at his death de
clares what disposition he wishes to be made of his goods, or possessions.

In the Scriptures, the terms Covenant and Testament are used in the
same sense, for the purpose of explaining more fully and clearly the idea
of this Covenant of God ; for both of them refer to and express our recon
ciliation with God, or the mutual agreement between God and men.

This agreement, or reconciliation, is called a Covenant, because God.
promises to us certain blessings, and demands from us in return our obedience,
employing also certain solemn ceremonies for the confirmation thereof.

It is called a Testament, because this reconciliation was made by tjjo
interposition of the death of Christ, the testator, that it might be ratified ; or
because Christ has obtained this reconciliation by his death, and left it unt.
us, as parents, at their decease, leave their possessions to their children.
This reason*is adduced by the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews,
where he says : " For this cause he is the Mediator of the New Testament,
that by means of death, they which are called might receive the promise
of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of neces
sity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force, after mea
are dead ; otherwise it is of no strength at all whilst the testator liveth."
(Heb. 9: 15, 16, 17.) Whilst the testator lives he has the right to
change, to take from, or to add any thing which he chooses to his will. The
Hebrew word Berith, signifies only a covenant, and not a testament ; whilst
the Greek word (Siadujxij, which is used in the Epistle to the Hebrews,
signifies both a covenant and a testament, from which it is inferred (as
some suppose) that this Epistle was written not in the Hebrew, but in the
Greek language.
7



98 THE COVENANT.

Obj. A testament is made by the death of the testator. But God can
not die. Therefore his testament is not ratified ; or this reconciliation can
not be called a testament. Ans. We deny the minor proposition ; because
God is said to have redeemed the Church with his own blood. Hence he
must have died ; but it was in his human nature, according to the testimony
of the apostle Peter, who says of Christ the testator, who was both God and
man, that he was put to death in the flesh. (1 Pet. 8 : 18.)

II. HOW COULD THIS COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND MAN BE MADE?

This covenant could only be made by a Mediator, as may be inferred
from the fact that we, as one of the parties, were not able to satisfy Gjd
for our sins, so as to be restored to his favor. Yea, such was our misera
ble condition, that we would not have accepted of the benefit of redemption
had it been purchased by another. Then God as the other party, could
not, on account of his justice, admit us into his favor without a sufficient
satisfaction. We were the enemies of God, and hence there could be no
way of access to him, unless by the intercession of Christ, the Mediator,
as has been fully shown in the remarks which we have made upon the
question Why was a Mediator necessary ? We may conclude, therefore,
that this reconciliation was possible only by the satisfaction and dearth of
Christ, the Mediator.

III. Is THIS COVENANT ONE, OK MORE?

This covenant is one in substance, but two-fold in circumstances ; or it
is one as it respects the general conditions upon which God enters into an
engagement with us, and we with him ; and it is two as it respects the con
ditions which are less general, or as some say, as it respects the mode of
its administration.

The Covenant is one in substance. 1. Because there is but one God,
one Mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, one way of reconcilia
tion, one faith, and one way of salvation for all who are and have been
saved from the beginning. It is a great question, and one that has been
much debated, whether the ancient fathers were saved in a different way
from that in which we are saved, which, unless it be correctly explained,
throws much obscurity and darkness around the gospel. The following
passages of Scripture teach us what we are to believe in relation to this
subject : " Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever." "And
God gave him to be Head over all things to the Church." " From whom
the whole body fitly joined together," &c. " No man hath seen God at any
time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath
declared him." " There is none other name under heaven given whereby
we must be saved." " No one knoweth the Father but the Son, and he
to whom," &c. " No one cometh to the Father but by me." " I am the
Way, the Truth, and the Life ;" he means, I am the way by which even
Adam obtained salvation. " Many kings and prophets desired to see the
things which ye see," &c. "Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he
saw it, and was glad." (Heb. 13 : 8. Eph. 1 : 22 ; 4 : 16. John 1 :
18. Acts 4 : 12. Matt. 11 : 2T. John 14 : 6. Luke 10 : 24. John
8 : 56.) All those, therefore, who have been saved, those under the law



THE COVENANT. 99

as well as those under the gospel, had respect to Christ, who is the only
Mediator, through whom alone they were reconciled to God and saved.
Hence, there is but one covenant.

2. There is but one covenant, because the principal conditions, which
are called the substance of the covenant, are the same before and since the
incarnation of Christ ; for in each testament God promises to those that
repent and believe, the remission of sin ; whilst men bind themselves, on
the other hand, to exercise faith in God, and to repent of their sins.

But there are said to be two covenants , the old and the new, as it re
spects the circumstances and conditions which are less general, which con
stitute the form, or the mode of administration, contributing to the princi
pal conditions, in order that the faithful, by their help, may obtain those
which are general.

IV. IN WHAT DO THE OLD AND THE NEW COVENANT AGREE, AND IN
WHAT DO THEY DIFFER ?

Since there is but one covenant, and the Scriptures speak of it as though
it were two, we must consider in what particulars the old and the new
covenants agree and in what they differ.

They agree, 1. In having Grod as their author and Christ as the Medi
ator. But Moses, some say, was the Mediator of the Old covenant.
To this we reply, that he was Mediator only as a type of Christ, who
was even then already Mediator, but is now the only Mediator without any
type ; for Christ having come in the flesh, is no longer covered with
types.

2. In the promise of grace concerning the remission of sins, and eternal
life granted freely to such as believe by and for the sake of Christ, which
promise was common to those who lived under the old covenant, as well as
to us ; although it is now delivered more clearly, for God promises the
same grace to all that believe in the Mediator. "The seed of the woman
shall bruise the serpent s head." " I will be a God unto thee and thy
seed." " He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." " But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved
even as they." (Gen. 3 : 15 ; 17 : 7. John 3: 36. Acts 15; 11.)
We here speak of the promise of grace in general, and not of the circum
stances of grace particularly.

3. In the condition in respect to ourselves. In each covenant, God re
quires Mm men faith and obedience. " Walk before me and be thou
perfect." "Repent and believe the gospel." (Gen. 17: 1. Mark 1: 15.)
The new covenant, therefore, agrees with the old in that which relates to
the principal conditions, both on the part of God, and on the part of man.

The two covenants differ, 1. In the promises of temporal blessings. The
old covenant had many special promises in relation to blessings of a tem
poral character, such as the promise of the land of Canaan, which was to be
given to the Church the form of the ceremonial worship, and of the
Mosaic polity, which were to be preserved in the land even to the tune of
the Messiah the birth of the Messiah from that people, &c. But the
new covenant has no such special promises of temporal blessings, but only
such as are general, because God will preserve his church even to the end,
and will always provide for it a certain resting place.



100 THE GOSPEL.

2. In the circumstance of the promise of grace. In the old covenant,
the faithful were received into the favor of God, on account of the Mes
siah that was to come, and the sacrifice which he would offer ; in the new,
the same blessing is obtained for the sake of the Messiah who has already
come, and for the sacrifice which he has already offered in our behalf.

3. In the rites, or signs, which are added to the promise of grace. In
the old covenant the sacraments were various, and painful, such as circum
cision, the passover, oblations and sacrifices. In the new, there are only
two sacraments Baptism and the Lord s Supper both of which are
simple and significant.

4. In clearness. The old had types and shadows of good things to
come. All was typical, as the priests, sacrifices, &c. Hence every thing
was more obscure and unintelligible. In the new, we have a fulfillment
of all these types, so that every thing is clearer and better understood,
both in regard to the sacraments and the doctrine which is revealed.

5. In the gifts which they confer. In the old, the effusion of the Holy
Spirit was small and limited ; in the new, it is large and full. " I will
make a new covenant." "If the ministration of condemnation be glory,
much more," &c. "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh." (Jer. 81 :
31. 2 Cor. 3 : 5. Joel 2 : 28.)

6. In duration. The old was to continue only until the coming of the
Messiah ; but the new will continue forever. " I will make an everlasting
covenant with them." (Jer. o2 : 40.)

7. In their obligation. The old bound the people to the whole lav/, the
moral, ceremonial, and judicial ; the new binds us only to the moral, and
to the use of the sacraments of Christ.

8. In their extent. In the old covenant, the church was confined to the
Jewish nation, to which it became all those who would be saved to unite
themselves. In the new, the church is established among all nations, and
is open to all that believe of every nation, rank, condition, or language.

Remark. The old testament, or covenant, is often used in Scripture by
a figure of speech, called synedoche, (in which a part is taken for the
whole,) for the law, with respect to that part which is especially treated
of. For in the old covenant, the law was enforced more strenuously, and
there were many parts of it. The gospel was also more obscure. The
new testament, or covenant, on the other hand, is for the most part taken
for the gospel, because in the new a great part of the law is abrogated, and
the gospel is here more clearly revealed.