By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better
testament.
] Or "covenant", for the word signifies both; and what is
intended may be called both a testament and a covenant; a
testament, because it is founded in the good will and pleasure of
God, and respects an inheritance bequeathed by God the Father to
his children, which was confirmed and comes to them by the death
of Christ the testator; and a covenant, it being a compact or
agreement made by the Father with Christ, as the representative
of all the elect; in which promises and blessings of all sorts
are provided and secured for them in him; and is called in
Scripture a covenant of life and peace, because these are things
concerned in it; and is commonly by men called the covenant of
grace, because it springs from the grace of God, the subject
matter of it is grace, and the end of it is the glory of God's
grace: now this is better than the covenant of works broken by
man, and which exposes him to the curse and condemnation of the
law; or than the covenant of the Levitical priesthood, by which
was no perfection; and the form of administration of it under the
Gospel dispensation is better than that under the law, for it is
now revealed more clearly, and administered without types,
shadows, and sacrifices; and the extent of its administration is
larger, reaching to Gentiles as well as Jews; and besides, it is
now actually ratified and confirmed by the blood of Christ, which
is therefore called the blood of the everlasting covenant: and of
this testament or covenant Christ is the "surety"; the word
signifies one that draws nigh: Christ drew nigh to his Father in
the council of peace, and undertook to be the Saviour and
Redeemer of his people he substituted himself in their place and
stead; he interposed between the creditor and the debtor, and
became surety for the payment of the debts of the latter, and so
stood engaged for them, and in their room: Christ is not the
surety for the Father to his people, but for them to the Father;
as to satisfy for their sins, to work out a righteousness for
them, to preserve and keep them, and make them happy; which is an
instance of matchless love.
Hebrews 7:22
