It is also called his judgments, implying that he is the great Judge of the world, and that he will deal with men in a judicial way, according to their works, as agreeable or disagreeable to this law of his, contained in his word; and, for this reason, it is also called his righteousness, because all that he commands in his word is holy and just, and his service highly reasonable.
It is also called God’s testimonies, as containing the witness, evidence, or record, that he has given to his own perfections, whereby he has demonstrated them to the world. Thus we are said, 2 Cor. iii. 18. To behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord.
It is also called his way, as containing a declaration of the glorious works that he has done, both of nature and grace; the various methods of his dealing with men, or the way that they should walk in, which leads to eternal life.
Moreover, it is called, Rom. iii. 2. The oracles of God, to denote that many things contained in it could not have been known by us till he was pleased to reveal them therein. Agreeably hereto, the apostle speaks of the great things contained in the gospel, as being hid in God; hid from ages and generations past, but now made manifest to the saints, Eph. iii. 9, Col. i. 26.
Again it is sometimes called the gospel, especially those parts of scripture which contain the glad tidings of salvation by Christ, or the method which God ordained for the taking away the guilt, and subduing the power of sin; and particularly the apostle calls it, The glorious gospel of the blessed God; 1 Tim. i. 11. and the gospel of our salvation. Eph. i. 13.
And, in this answer, it is called the Old and New Testament; that part of it which was written before our Saviour’s incarnation, which contains a relation of God’s dealings with his church, from the beginning of the world to that time, or a prediction of what should be fulfilled in following ages, is called the Old Testament. The other which contains an account of God’s dispensation of grace, from Christ’s first to his second coming is called the New.
A testament is the declared or written will of a person, in which some things are given to those who are concerned or described therein. Thus the scripture is God’s written will or testament, containing an account of what he has freely given in his covenant of grace to fallen man; and this is the principal subject matter of scripture, as a testament; therefore it contains an account,
1. Of many valuable legacies given to the heirs of salvation; the blessings of both worlds, all the privileges contained in those great and precious promises, with which the scripture so abounds. Thus it is said, Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory; Psal. lxiii. 24. and the Lord will give grace and glory, Psal. lxxxiv. 11.
2. It describes the testator Christ, who gives eternal life to his people, and confirms all the promises which are made in him; as they are said, 2 Cor. i. 20. To be in him yea and amen, to the glory of God; and more especially he ratified this testament by his death as the same apostle observes, which is a known maxim of the civil law, that where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of the testator,[[16]] Heb. ix. 16, 17. upon which the force or validity thereof depends. And the word of God gives us a large account how all the blessings, which God bestowed upon his people, receive their validity from the death of Christ.
3. It also discovers to us who are the heirs, or legatees, to whom these blessings are given, who are described therein, as repenting, believing, returning sinners, who may lay claim to the blessings of the covenant of grace.