Sword & Trowel 2016: Issue 2 


(Numbers 23.9); and the sceptre was not to depart from them until Shiloh came (Genesis 49.10). God had regard to his own glory and faithfulness, in that his Word would be accomplished and in an obvious and conspicuous way. If the posterity of Abraham had


been (as today) scattered abroad on the face of the earth, mixed with all other nations, and left under their rule, it could never have been proved that God had given his Seed. (2) It was also necessary that there should be kept among them a visible reminder of the purpose for which they were so separated from all the nations of the world. A testimony was to be kept up among them, and this was the purpose of all their ordinances of worship, of the tabernacle, priest- hood and sacrifices. By this covenant, God did not actu- ally take this nation away from the promise (the message of grace) for his true people were among them, and this true ‘remnant’ could only be


saved through faith in the promise. But the people as a whole were of a hard heart and puffed up with self- righteousness. For this cause God felt it necessary to put a grievous and heavy yoke upon them to subdue their pride. This yoke included a multitude of precepts administered in great sever- ity and clothed with the spirit of bondage.


This old covenant never saved or condemned anyone in the strict sense. All who lived under the ad- ministration of it attained either eternal life or eternal damnation, but not by virtue of this covenant. As far as those who perished under it were concerned, this covenant had only revived the commanding power and sanction of the original creation cov- enant. As far as the regenerate were concerned, they had received the righteousness which comes by faith, from believing the promise (to Abra- ham) and the message in types and shadows.


THE COVENANTS ARE SO DIFFERENT – by John Owen


The two covenants, the old and the


new, differ in far too many ways to be two administrations of the same covenant. The old covenant was ac- companied by the dread and terror of the outward appearance on mount Sinai. This filled all the people with fear and trembling. It was a spirit of fear and bondage which made them choose to keep a distance, and not draw near to God. Things were quite different in the


page 36 John Owen on the Covenants


promulgation of the new covenant. The Son of God declared it person- ally, and in a spirit of meekness and condescension, with the greatest demonstration of love, grace and compassion, encouraging and invit- ing the weary, the burdened and the heavy-laden to come to him. The covenants also differ in their mediators. The mediator of the first covenant was Moses, who was a servant in the house of God. But the


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44