Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	covenant_n	old_a	testament_n	1,680	5	9.6229	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78965	The great danger of covenant-refusing, and covenant-breaking. Presented in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Thomas Adams Lord Mayor, and the Right Worshipfull the sheriffes, and the aldermen his brethren, and the rest of the Common-councell of the famous City of London, Jan. 14. 1645. Upon which day the solemne League and Covenant was renued by them and their officers with prayer and fasting at Michael Basinshaw, London. / By Edmund Calamy, B.D. and pastor of Aldermanbury London.; Great danger of covenant-breaking, &c.	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1646 (1646)	Wing C254; Thomason E327_6; ESTC R200648	37,036	51

another case Is it a sleight matter to be the son in law of a King So may I say Is it a sleight matter for the Lord of Heaven and Earth to condescend so far as to covenant with his poor creatures and thereby to become their debtors and to make them as it were his equals When Jonathan and David entred into a covenant of friendship though one was a Kings son the other a poor Shepherd yet there was then a kinde of equality between them But this must be understood warily according to that text 2 Cor. 1. 9. Blessed be God who hath called us into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord He is still our Lord though in fellowship with us It is a covenant of infinite condescension on Gods part whereby he enters into a league of friendship with his people 2. The mercy is the greater because this covenant was made after the fall of Adam after we had broken the first covenant That the Lord should try us the second time is not only an act of infinite goodnesse in God but of infinite mercy There is a difference between the goodnesse and the mercy of God Goodnesse may be shewed to those that are not in misery but mercy supposeth misery And this was our condition after the breach of the first covenant 3. That God should make this covenant with Man and not with Devils 4. This sets out the mercy of the covenant because it containes such rare and glorious benefits and therefore it is called a covenant of life and peace Mal. 2. 5. an everlasting covenant even the sure mercies of David Esay 55. 3. It is compared to the waters of Noah Esay 54. 9. Famous are those two texts Exod. 19. 5 6. Ier. 32. 40 41. Texts that hold forth strong consolation By virtue of the covenant Heaven is not only made possible but certain to all believers and certain by way of oath It is by virtue of the covenant that we call God Father and may lay claim to all the power wisdome goodnesse and mercy c. that is in God As Iehoshaphat told the King of Israel to whom he was joyned in covenant I am as thou art my people as thy people my horses as thy horses So doth God say to all that are in covenant with him My power is thine my goodnesse is thine c. By virtue of this covenant whatsoever thou wantest God cannot deny it thee if it be good for thee Say unto God Lord thou hast sworne to take away my heart of stone and to give me a heart of flesh Thou hast sworn to write thy law in my heart thou hast sworn to circumcise my heart thou hast sworn to give me Christ to be my King Priest and Prophet c. And God cannot but be a covenant-keeper By virtue of this covenant God cannot but accept of a poor penitent sinner laying hold upon Christ for pardon 2 Chron. 7. 14. Jer. 3. 14. Promissa haec tuasunt Domine quis falli timet cum promittit ipsa veritas In a word we may challenge pardon and heaven by our covenant 1 John 1. 9. God is not only mercifull but just to forgive us We may challenge heaven through Christ out of justice 5. Adde lastly that the conditions of the Covenant on our parts should be upon such easie termes therefore it is called a Covenant of Free-grace All that God requires of us is to take hold of this Covenant Is 56. to receive this gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5. to take all Christ as he is tendred in the Covenant And that which is the greatest consolation of all God hath promised in his Covenant to do our part for us Jer. 31. 33 34. Therefore it is called a Testament rather then a Covenant In the new Testament the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is alwayes used by the Apostle and not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Heaven is conveyed unto the elect by way of Legacie It is part of Gods Testament to write his law in our hearts and to cause us to walk in his wayes c. Put these things together Seeing there is such infinite mercy in the Covenant A mercy for God to enter into Covenant with us to doe it with us and not the Angels with us fallen with us upon such easie termes and to make such a Covenant that contains so many and not only so but all blessings here and hereafter in the wombe of it it must needs be a land-destroying and soul-destroying sin to be a Covenant-breaker The use and application of this doctrine is foure-fold If it be such a Land-devouring sin to be a Covenant-breaker let us from hence learn the true cause of all the miseries that have hapned unto England in these late yeers The wombe out of which all our calamities are come England hath broken Covenant with God and now God is breaking England in pieces even as a Potter breakes a vessell in pieces God hath sent his sword to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant As Christ whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple with whips made of the cords which they brought to tye their oxen and sheep withall A Covenant is a cord to ty us to God and now God hath made an iron whip of these cords which we have broken asunder to whip us withall We are a nation in Covenant with God we have the books of the Covenant the Old and New Testament we have the seales of the Covenant Baptisme and the Lords Supper We have the Messengers of the Covenant the Ministers of the Gospell We have the Angell of the covenant the Lord Jesus Christ fully and clearly set out before us in the Ministery of the Word But alas are not these blessings amongst us as the Ark was amongst the Philistines rather as prisoners then as priviledges rather in testimonium ruinam quam in salutem rather for our ruine then for our happinesse May it not be said of us as Reverend Moulin said of the French Protestants While they burned us saith he for reading the Scriptures we burnt with zeale to be reading of them now with our liberty is bred also negligence and disesteem of Gods word So it is with us While we were under the Tyranny of the Bishops oh how sweet was a Fasting-day how beautifull were the feet of them that brought the Gospell of peace unto you How dear and precious were Gods people one to another c. But now how are our Fasting-dayes sleighted and vilified how are the people of God divided one from another railing upon in stead of loving one another And is not the godly Mininistery as much persecuted by the tongues of some that would be accounted godly as heretofore by the Bishops hands Is not the Holy Bible by some rather wrested then read wrested I say by ignorant and unstable soules to their own destruction And as for the seales of the

lateritiam reliqui marmoream For the better bringing of this to passe you did lately renue your solemne League and Covenant at which time this ensuing Sermon was preached Since which time not only the Sermon but the Preacher of it hath undergone many harsh and bitter censures It is the wickednesse of these dayes to build their own designes upon the ruine of other mens good name But surely God will never prosper such bloody practises It is said of Antiochus a vilde person Dan. 11. 28. That his heart shall be against the holy Covenant We have many amongst us that in this are like unto Antiochus whose hearts tongues and hands are not only against our solemne League and Covenant but against all that preach for it or write in the defence of it There is indeed a Covenant that some do much contend for and make the very form of a particular Church without which a Church cannot be a true Church which is called a Church-covenant For my part I conceive that whosoever shall say that a Church-covenant I meane an oath expressed by formal words is an Ordinance of Christ and necessary to the very being of a visible Church doth not only un-church most of the Churches of Jesus Christ but doth also set up his own invention for an Ordinance of Christ In the New Testament we reade of no such Church-oath at the admission of Members And there is no place in the Old Testament for ought I could ever reade that speaks of a Church-oath to be taken at our admission into Church-fellowship Indeed we have mention made of a Nationall Covenant and of the Covenant of grace and of subscribing with our hands unto the Lord But what are these to a Church-oath without which no man is to be accounted a Church-member or to have right to the seales of the covenant of grace To urge this as an Ordinance of Christ is to set our posts by Gods posts and our threshold by Gods threshold Ezek. 43. 8. But if I should expatiate any further in this point I should exceed the limits of an Epistle and therefore I forbear My hearty desire is That this Covenant which you have now taken the second time may be carried about you in continuall remembrance And that it may serve in stead of a thousand Arguments to make you zealously serviceable to God to Church and State It is reported of Theseus that he was so taken with the wonderfull works of Hercules that he could not sleep for thinking of the wonders of Hercules and when he slept he dreamt of Hercules wonders and was never satisfied till he had imitated him in working wonderfull things also And it is also related of Themistocles that he had alwayes in his thoughts by night and by day the victories of Miltiades and this made him insatiable till he had imitated him Oh that you would thus deale with the Covenant That you would think of it in your bed in your closets in your walks and think of what particulars you have sworn unto and never leave thinking untill you have fully performed your Oath and Covenant And if you keep Covenant with God the great God will keep Covenant with you and all the blessings of the Covenant which are mentioned in the book of God which is the book of the Covenant shall be your portion for ever and ever Which is the prayer of Your much obliged Spirituall Servant EDM. CALAMY The great danger of Covenant-refusing and Covenant-breaking 2 TIM. 3. 3. Truce-breakers or Covenant-breakers YOu are here met this day to humble your soules before the Lord and to renue your solemne League and Covenant I say to renue it and take it the second time It is no unusuall thing for the people of God to repeat and reiterate their Vows and Covenants The great and solemne vow which we made to God in Baptisme is renued every time we come to the Lords Supper And upon every Fast day wee binde our selves anew to God by Covenant The people of Israel entred into covenant Ezra 10. 3. And the same people as Chronologers observe did re-engage themselves in the same Covenant Neh. 10. The Scripture tels us that Almighty God did * six times make one and the same covenant with Abraham and sware the same covenant twice to Isaac Gen. 26. 4. 34. And therefore blessed be the great God who hath put it into your hearts to engage your selves a second time into a Nationall Covenant There are six reasons to justifie this dayes solemnity before God and all that require satisfaction about it 1. Because this Nationall Covenant hath been a long time as it were dead and buried and quite forgotten amongst most people And therefore it is high time to raise it out of the grave of forgetfulnesse and I hope this day will be to the Covenant as a Resurrection from the dead 2. Because of the great scorn and contempt that is cast upon it by divers sorts of people The Malignants call it a conspiracy others though not Malignants yet maligne the Covenant and call it a snare a trap a temptation and account it a signe of a tender conscience to boggle at it and of a loose conscience to swallow it without scruple And therefore to vindicate the honour and reputation of the Covenant and to wipe off the aspersions that are cast upon it you doe well to take it the second time 3. Because there are some that do openly professe their sorrow that ever they took it and would fain recant and retract what they have done And therefore to manifest that you are still of the same judgement and that you doe not repent of what you have done you doe well to take it the second time 4. Because of the pronenesse that is in all men even the best of men to break covenant with God A Covenant indeed is a golden Girdle to tye us fast to God it is a joyning and glewing our selves to the Lord The word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth an Oath comes from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth a Hedge An Oath and Covenant is a strong hedge to keep us from breaking out into disobedience It is an entring into bond to become the Lords it is a binding our selves apprentice to God Voluntas saith Aquinas per votum immobiliter firmatur in bonum But yet notwithstanding the nature of the best man is very apt to break these bonds and to run away from his great Lord and Master to suffer this Hedge to decay and this golden girdle to loosen and untye and to disjoyne and unglew himself from God And therefore it is not only commendable but very necessary and for this cause you are met this day to enter into bond the second time to binde and inroll your selves again unto the Lord to make up this hedge to tye this golden girdle yet faster and to joyn and glew your selves once more

grievous sin Covenant-breaking is But after man was fallen God was pleased to strike a new covenant which is usually called a covenant of grace or of reconciliation a copy of which you shall read Ezek. 16. 7 8 9. This was first propounded to Adam by way of promise Gen. 3. The Seed of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head And then to Abram by way of Covenant Gen. 17. In thy Seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed And then to Moses by way of Testament Exod. 33. It is nothing else but the free and gracious tender of Jesus Christ and all his rich purchases to all the lost and undone sons of Adam that shall beleeve in him or as the phrase is Isai. 56. 4. that shall take hold of the covenant Now you must know that Baptisme is a seal of this covenant and that all that are baptized doe sacramentally at least engage themselves to walk before God and to be upright and God likewise engageth himself to be their God This covenant is likewise renued when we come to the Lords Supper wherein we bind our selves by a sacramentall oath unto thankfulnesse to God for Christ Adde further that besides this generall covenant of grace whereof the Sacraments are seales there are particular and personall and family and nationall covenants Thus Job had his covenant Job 20. and David Psal. 119. 106. And when he came to be King he joyned in a covenant with his people to serve the Lord Thus Asa Jehoiada and Josiah c. Thus the people of Israel had not onely a covenant in circumcision but renued a covenant in Horeb in Moab and did often again and again bind themselvs to God by vow and covenant And thus the Churches of the Christians besides the vow in Baptisme have many personall and nationall engagements unto God by covenant which are nothing else but the renovations and particular applications of that first vow in Baptisme Of this nature is the covenant you are to renue this day c. Now give me leave to shew you what a sword-procuring and soul-undoing sinne this sin of Covenant-breaking is and ethen th reason of it Famous is that text Levit. 26. 25. And I will send my sword which shall avenge the quarrell of my covenant The words in the Hebrew run thus I will avenge the avengement In Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Latin ulciscar ultionem which importeth thus much That God is at open war and at publique defiance with those that break his covenant he is not onely angry with them but he will be revenged of them The Lord hath a controversie with all covenant-breakers Hos. 4. 1. or as it is Lev. 26. 23. The Lord will walk contrary to them In the 29. of Deuter. first God takes his people into covenant and then he tels them of the happy condition they should bee in if they did keep covenant But if they did breake couenant he tels them verse 20 21 22 23 24 25. That the Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his jealousies shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And the Lord shall separate him c. And when the nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land What meaneth the heat of this great anger Then shall men say Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers c. This was the sin that caused God to send his people of Israel into captivity and to remove the candlestick from the Asian Churches It is for this sin that the sword is now devouring Germany Ireland and England c. God hath sent his sword to avenge the quarrell of his covenant The reasons why this sin is a God-provoking sin are Because that to sinne against the covenant is a greater sinne then to sin against a Commandement of God or to sin against a promise or to sin against an Ordinance of God First it is a greater sin then to break a Commandement of God For the more mercy there is in the thing we sin against the greater is the sin Now there is more mercy in a Covenant then in a bare Commandement The Commandement tels us our duty but gives no power to doe it But the covenant of grace gives power to doe what it requires to be done And therefore if it be a hell-procuring sin to break the least of Gods Commandements much more to be a Covenant-breaker Heb. 10. 28 29. Secondly it is a greater sin then to sin against a promise of God because a Covenant is a promise joyn'd with an oath it is a mutuall stipulation between God and us And therefore if it be a great sin to break promise much more to break covenant Thirdly it is a greater sin then to sin against an Ordinance because the Covenant is the root and ground of all the Ordinances It is by virtue of the Covenant that we are made partakers of the Ordinances The Word is the book of the Covenant and the Sacraments are the Scales of the Covenant And if it be a sin of an high nature to sin against the book of the Covenant and the seales of the Covenant much more against the Covenant it selfe To break covenant is a fundamentall sinne it raseth the very foundation of Christianity because the Covenant is the foundation of all the priviledges and prerogatives and hopes of the Saints of God And therefore we reade Ephes. 2. 12. that a stranger from the Covenant is one without hope All hope of Heaven is cut off where the Covenant is willingly broken To break covenant is an universall sin it includes all other sins By virtue of the Covenant we tye our selves to the obedience of Gods Commandements we give up our selves to the guidance of Jesus Christ we take him for our Lord and King All the promises of this life and that that is to come are contained within the Covenant The Ordinances are fruits of the Covenant And therefore they that forsake the Covenant commit many sins in one and bring not only many but all curses upon their heads The summe of the first Argument is If the Lord will avenge the quarrell of his Commandement if God was avenged upon the stick-gatherer for breaking the Sabbath much more will he be avenged upon a Covenant-breaker If God will avenge the quarrell of a promise if the quarrell of an Ordinance if they that reject the Ordinances shall be punished Of how much severer punishment shall they be thought worthy that trample under their feet the blood of the Covenant If God was avenged of those that abused the Ark of the Covenant much more will he punish those that abuse the Angell of the Covenant The second reason why covenant-breaking is such a Land-destroying sin is because it is a most

istam futuram adversus Christum gloriationem hostis insolentem gravius longè esse statuo quam Gehennae supplicia That is I esteem this insulting of the Devill over Jesus Christ at the great day to be more grievous to a true Saint then all the torments in hell A saying worthy to be written in letters of gold Seeing then that covenant-breaking is so great an abomination the Lord give us hearts to be humbled for this great abomination this day And this will be a notable preparation to fit you to the renuing of your Covenant For we reade that Nehemiah first called his people to fast before he drew them into a Covenant According to which pattern you are here met to pray and fast and humble your soules for your former covenant-breaking and then to binde your selves anew unto the Lord our God As wax when it is melted will receive the impression of a seal which it will not do before So will your hearts when melted into godly sorrow for your sins receive the seal of God abidingly upon them which they will not do when hardned in sin Is every man that sins against the Covenant to be accounted a Covenant-breaker and a perjured sacrilegious person By no means For as every failing of a Wife doth not break the Covenant between her and her Husband but she is to be accounted a Wife till she by committing adultery break the Covenant So every miscariage against the Covenant of grace or against this Nationall covenant doth not denominate us in a Gospell-account Covenant-breakers But then God accounts us according to his Gospel to break covenant when we do not only sin but commit sin against the Covenant when we do not only sin out of weaknesse but out of wickednesse when we do not only faile but fall into sin when we forsake renounce the Covenant when we deale treacherously in the Covenant and enter into league and covenant with those sins which we have sworn against When we walk into Anti-covenant paths and willingly do contrary to what we swear then are we perjured unjust and sacrilegious and guilty of all these sins formerly mentioned The fourth Use presents unto you a Divine and therefore a sure project to make the times happy And that is Let all Covenant-takers labour to be Covenant-keepers It hath pleased God to put it in your hearts to renue your Covenant The same God inable you to keep Covenant It is said 2 Chron. 34. 31 32. The King made a covenant before the Lord c. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it And 2 Kings 23. 3. The King stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord c. and all the people stood to the covenant This is your duty not only to take the Covenant but to stand to the Covenant and to stand to it maugre all opposition to the contrary According to seek the Lord God of their fathers c. That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman For it is not the taking but the keeping of the Covenant that will make you happy God is stiled A God keeping covenant Deut 9. 4. Neh. 1. 5. O that this might be the honour of this City That we may say of it London is a City keeping covenant with God Great and many are the blessings entailed upon Covenant-keepers Exod. 19. 5 6. Now therefore if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine And ye shall be unto me a kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation c. Psal. 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant c. Psal. 15. 4. There are three Covenants I shall perswade you in an especiall manner to stand to 1. The covenant you made with God in Baptisme A Christian saith Chrysostome should never step out of doors or lye down in his bed or go into his closet but he should remember that word Abrenuncio that is He should remember the time when he did renounce the Devill and all his works Oh let us not forget that which we ought alwayes to remember Let us remember to keep that Covenant as ever we desire God should remember us in mercy at the great day 2. The covenants which we have made unto God in our afflictions Famous is that passage of Pliny in one of his Epistles to one that desired rules from him how to order his life aright I will saith he give you one rule which shall be instead of a thousand Vt tales esse perseveremus sani quales nos futuros esse profitemur infirmi That we should persevere to be such when we are well as we promise to be when we are sick A sentence never to be forgotten The Lord help us to live accordingly 3. The covenant which you are to take this day The happinesse or misery of England doth much depend upon the keeping or breaking of this Covenant If England keep it England by keeping covenant shall stand sure according to that text Ezek. 7. 14. If England break it God will break England in pieces If England sleight it God wil sleight England If England forsake it God will forsake England And this shall be written upon the Tombe of perishing England Here lieth a Nation that hath broken the That it is the brand of a Reprobate to be a Covenant-breaker c. It is the part of a Foole to vow and not to pay his vowes And God hath no delight in the sacrifice of fools Better not vow then to vow and not to pay Eccl. 5. 4 5. It is such an high prophanation of Gods Name as that God cannot hold a Covenant-breaker guiltlesse It is perjury injustice spirituall adultery sacriledge c. And the very lifting up of your hands this day if you do not set heart and hand on work to keep covenant will be sufficient witnesse against you at the great day We reade Gen. 31. 44 45 46 48 49 52 53. That Jacob and Laban entred into a covenant and took a heap of stones and made them a witnesse said This heap is a witnesse c. And they called the name of the place Mizpah The Lord watch between me and thee c. The God of Abraham judge betwixt us c. Such is your condition this day You enter into Covenant to become the Lords and to be valiant for his truth and against his enemies And the very stones of this Church shall be witnesse against you if you break covenant The name of this place may be called Mizpah The Lord will watch over you for good if you keep it and for evill if you break it And all the curses contained in the book of the Covenant shall light

prepare to the speeding blow to that blow that cuts it down You have delivered one petition already deliver another and if that speed not deliver another The speeding petition will come at last In a word doe your duties according to your oath and according to your capacities and all in a regular way and leave the issue to God But some will say How shall I doe to get up my heart to this high pitch that I may be a Covenant-keeper I will propound these four helps 1. Labour to be always mindefull of your Covenant according to that text 1 Chron. 16. 15. God is always mindfull of his Covenant It was the great sin of the people of Israel that they were unmindfull of the Covenant Neh. 9. 17. They first forgat the Covenant and afterwards did quickly forsake it He that forgets the Covenant must needs be a Covenant-breaker Let us therefore remember it and carry it about us as quotidianum argumentum and quotidianum munimentum First let us make the Covenant a daily argument against all sin iniquity and when we are tempted to any sin let us say I have sworn to forsake my old iniquities and if I commit this sin I am not onely a Commandement-breaker but an Oath-breaker I am perjur'd I have sworn to reform my family and therefore I will not suffer a wicked person to tarry in my family I have sworn against neutrality and indifferency and therefore I will be zealous in Gods cause c. Secondly let us make this Covenant a daily muniment and armour of defence to beat back all the fiery darts of the Devill When any one tempts thee by promise of preferment to doe contrary to thy Covenant or by threatning to ruine thee for the hearty pursuing of thy Covenant here is a ready answer I am sworn to doe what I doe and if I doe otherwise I am a perjured wretch This is as a wall of brasse to resist any dart that shall be shot against thee for well-doing according to thy Covenant Famous he required aid of him against the Romanes When I was 9 years old said he my Father carried me to the Altar and made me take an Oath to be an irreconciliable foe to the Romanes In pursuance of this Oath I have waged war against them those 36 years To keep this Oath I have left my Country and am come to seek aid at your hands which if you deny I will travell over all the world to finde out some enemies to the Romane State Odi odioque sum Romanis If an Oath did so mightily operate in Hannibal let the Oath you are to take this day work as powerfully upon you And make your Oath an argument to oppose personall sins and family sins and to oppose Heresie Schisme and all profanenesse and to endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the neerest conjunction and uniformity c. And let this Oath be armour of proof against all temptations to the contrary And know this one thing that if the Covenant be not a daily argument and muniment against sin it will become upon your breaking of it quotidianum testimonium aeternum opprobrium A daily witnesse against you as the book of the law was Deut. 31. 26. and an everlasting shame and reproach unto you and yours 2. Let us have high thoughts of the Covenant Actions and affections follow our apprehensions If thy judgement be beleapred with a corrupt opinion about the Covenant thy affections and actions will quickly be beleapred also And therefore you ought to endeavour according to your places that nothing be spoken or written that may tend to the prejudice of the Covenant 3. You must not take it in your owne strengths but in Gods strength As it is taken in Gods presence so it must be taken with Gods assistance with selfe-abasing selfe-denying selfe-humbling hearts you must take it joyfully and tremblingly rejoycing in God and in his strength and yet trembling for fear of your own unworthinesse and unstedfastnesse in the Covenant 4. You must take heed of the cursed sin of selfe-love which is placed in the fore-front as the cause of all the Catalogue of sins here named Because-men are lovers of themselves therefore they are covetous c. and therefore they are Covenant-breakers A selfe-seeker cannot be a Covenant-keeper this is a sinne that you must hate as the very gates of hell of my Sermon to speak on but the time and your other occasions will not permit There is a naturall selfe-love and a divine selfe-love and a sinfull selfe-love This sinfull self-love is when we make our selves the last end of all our actions when we so love our selves as to love no man but our selves according to the Proverb Every man for himself c. When we pretend God and his glory and the common good but intend our selves and our own private gain and interest when we serve God upon politique designes Of this sinfull self-love the Apostle speaks Phil. 2. 21. For all seek their own and not the things of Jesus Christ And if we had a window to look into the hearts of most people we should finde their hearts made up all of this Idolatrous selfe-love Men deal with God as it is reported of Cnidius a great Architectist who building a sumptuous Watch-Tower for the King of Egypt a Tower to discover the rocks to Mariners such was his craft that he caused his own name to be engraven'd upon a stone in the wall in great letters and over that stone he caused it to be plaistered with lime and mortar and upon the outside wrote the name of the King of Egypt as pretending that he should have all the honour But here was his cunning he knew that in time the water would consume as it did the plaistering and afterwards his own name and memory should appear and abide Just so doe most people deal with God and with his religion and with the publique If we looke without doors we shall see nothing written but pro bono publico c. All their discourse is for the better promoting of Godlilinesse but if we could look within we should see written Pro bono privato c. All their designes are for to promote themselves They monopolize and ingrosse all to themselves as if made for themselves Where this sinfull self-love dwels there dwels no love to God no love to thy brother no love to Church nor State This sinfull self-love is the Caterpillar that destroyeth Church and Common-wealth It is from this sinfull self-love that the publique affairs drive on so heavily and that Church-government is not setled and that our Covenant is so much neglected Of this sin I cannot now speak but when God shall offer opportunity I shall endeavour to uncase it before you In the mean time the Lord give you grace to hate it as hell it self Compare Ezra 7. 7. with Neh. 1. 1. * Gen. 12. 3. 7. 13. 15. 15. 18. 17. 7 8. Gen. 22. 18. Six Reasons to justifie the renuing of the Covenant 2 Chro. 15. 1. Isay 42. 24. 25. Iudg. 6. 13. 1 Sam. 28. 15 16. Rev. 2. 5. Job 5. 23. Rom 1. 24. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Doct. the first Reason 1. Reason 2. Ezek. 16. 8. Reason 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Doctrine 2. Reason 1. Reason 2. Gen. 15. 10. 17 18 Reason 3. Reason 4. Reason 5. Reason 6. Vse 1. Of Information Vse 2. Of examination whether we be covenant-breakers or no First for the Covenant we make in Baptisme Concerning our vowes to God in our distresse Concerning the solemne League and Covenant Questions about the Covenant Quest 1. Quest 2. Quest 3. Quest 4. Quest 5. Six things sworn unto in the Covenant Vse 3. Of Humiliation Five soul-humbling considerations Object Answ Vse 4. An exhortation unto Covenant keeping Epecially to keep 1. The Covenant we made to God in baptisme 2. The covenants we have made in our affliction 3. The solemne League Covenant 6. Things to be done in pursuance of our Covenant Jer. 9 3. Quest Ans. Four helps to keep the solemn League Covenant The Covenant must be a daily argument against sin a daily weapon to beat back all temptations