Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

Where he adds, and I vvill make a covenant: some demand, Quest. whether God had not made a perpetual covenant with the Jews before: for he seems to promise a new and unaccustomed thing here. I answer, Ans. he promiseth no new thing, but that which God had before contracted with the people, and therefore it is but a renewing and a confirmation of the covenant, to the end the Jews should not think that Gods promise was abolished, though they saw themselves so long banished. For whilst they were driven out of that country which was promised and given them, being without the Temple, and without the sacrifices, and had no marks at all left, but the covenant of Circumcision; who would not have thought but that God had utterly shaken them off? Isaiah then hath fitted this phrase of speech as you see to the capacity of the people, that they might know how the covenant of God made with their fathers was firm, stable, and eternal, and neither mutable nor temporary.

Where he addes, and I vvill make a couenant: some demaund, Quest. whether God had not made a perpetual couenant with the Iewes before: for he seemes to promise a new and vnaccustomed thing heere. I answere, Ans. he promiseth no new thing, but that which God had before contracted with the people, and therefore it is but a renuing and a confirmation of the couenant, to the end the Iewes should not thinke that Gods promise was abolished, though they saw thēselues so long banished. For whilst they were driuen out of that countrie which was promised and giuen them, being without the Temple, and without the sacrifices, and had no marks at all left, but the couenant of Circumcision; who would not haue thought but that God had vtterly shaken them off? Isaiah then hath fitted this phrase of speech as you see to the capacitie of the people, that they might know how the couenant of God made with their fathers was firme, stable, and eternall, and neither mutable nor temporarie.

He signifies the same thing by the mercies of David: but by this clause he shows that the covenant is free, because it hath its foundation laid in nothing but in the mere goodness of God. As oft then as we mere with this word Covenant in the Scriptures,