NEW. It is put for extraordinary or unusual. The Lord has chose a new Method of making War; Nova bella elegit Judg. v. 8. Numb. xvi. 30.Dominus, says Deborah in her Song. If the Lord make a new Thing, and the Earth open her Mouth, and swallow them up, you shall thereby know that they have blasphemed the Lord. And the Author of Wisd. xv. 3.the Book of Wisdom, speaking of Manna says, that the Hebrews tasted a new kind of Food; Novam gustaverunt escam. God gave them miraculous Bread. And speaking Wisd. xix. 11.of the Quails he says, Viderunt novam creaturam avium.
God promises a new Heaven and a new Isai. lxv. 17. lxxi. 22.Earth, at the Time of the Messiah; that is, an universal Renovation of all Things, a Change of Manners, Sentiments, and Actions, through the whole World, under the Reign of the Messiah. This Passage is also understood of what is to happen to the Heaven and the Earth at the End of the World. There will be seen a new Heaven and a new Earth; not that the Heaven and the Earth that now are will be annihilated, or change their Nature; but the Air, the Earth, and the Elements will be more perfect, or at least we shall be of a Nature that will no longer be subject to those Vicissitudes and Alterations, that we now suffer by Means of these Elements.
God also promises to his People a new Ezek. xi. 19. xviii. 31. xxxvi. 26.Covenant, a new Spirit, a new Heart; and this was fully accomplished at our Saviour’s coming.
A new Hymn, a new Song; Things of this Kind generally please the more, when they have the Character of Novelty.
God says he is going to create a new Jerem. xxxi. 22.Thing upon the Earth, a Woman shall compass a Man, which is understood of the Conception Matth. ix. 17.and Birth of the Messiah. Several of the Moderns understand it otherwise. I am going to do a new Thing in Israel: Hereafter Women shall seek Men in Marriage.
Our Saviour says by Way of Proverb, that new Wine should not be put into old Bottles; by which he intended to insinuate, that his Apostles should not be oppressed by difficult Observances, before they should be fortified by the Reception of the Holy Ghost.