Of God's Covenant with Man, VII:4

This covenant of grace is frequently set forth in Scripture by the name of a testament, in reference to the death of Jesus Christ the Testator, and to the everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it, therein bequeathed.

This is an intriguing little statement, seemingly innocuously inserted into the midst of the Confession's discussion of the covenant of grace. Yet it packs a punch. The divines observe that an alterate name for covenant is "testament," which our modern ears are used to hearing simply as the word designating the two major divisions of the Bible: the Old and New Testaments. But there is a deeper meaning that we may see if we recall that we refer to a person's final statement of wishes regarding his personal effects is a "last will and testament." The divines then speak of the covenant as a will referring to the death of the testator, in this case Jesus Christ. The covenant of grace finds its enactment in the death of Christ on behalf of his people, who then stand as heirs of all that he has. In him, Christians have an "everlasting inheritance, with all things belonging to it." The Scriptures testify (!) that this is a rich inheritance, indeed.

Tomorrow: The differing administration of the covenant of grace.