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A42361
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A sermon preach'd upon breach of covenant by that reverend and worthy servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. John Guthrie ... 1663.
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Guthrie, John, 1632-1669.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing G2268; ESTC R7776
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15,177
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15
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it which I will not grant for there was at that time a Power for it I will not take upon me to dispute the Power that Parliaments have without a King it 's far above my hand yet I say the Parliament has Power to put Folk to Duty nill they will they IV. For making the Covenant valid and lawful something may be added to it afterward though not at the present time yet seeing it is afterwards added it is enough but so was it with our Covenant there was a frequent Consent given to it by our King and also it was subscribed by him which is sufficient to make our Vows stand Numb 30. we see if a Husband or Parent hold their Peace when they heard a Woman vow the Vow did stand much more if the Husband or Parent take the Vow upon themselves I know no shadow imaginable of Excuse for them the Word of God which stands sure makes against them and since it is so our King and Parliament cannot retract what they have done Objection 2 d. Some will say there is no Man but knows that the King has taken the Covenant for it was not done in a Corner but he may break because he was forced to it and he was not absolutâ—ly free Answ I. We did not hear tell of this before now if any Man would have said at that time that he was constrained to take it he would be counted a very uncharitable Constructer II. Suppose that he was not free which I will never grant and â—â—ppose he was forced to the Oath yet Scripture makes it out that a Man's Swearing though he was not free must stand to it Though it was â—â—t a spontaneous Act yet at was a most voluntary Act. Again Consider this in Zedekiah he was a Captive to whom To a Heathen now no Man will say a Captive is a free Man and a liberate Man yet he swearing to the King of Babylon a Heathen and breaking his Oath afterwards God's Vengeance came upon him for there is no dallying with God in these Matters for all Casuists say If a Man swear to a Robber to give him so much to spare his Life he must keep his Oath if it be in his power though it be to his hurt I shall say no more on this but I am hopeful if you will receive the Word in Love ye shall have wherewith to answer your Adversaries in the Gate Objection 3 d. The solemn League and Covenant must be broken because we are not bound to keep with them that brake to us first but it is so betwixt Us and England Ergo. Ans Is there not many make this Objection which I dare say never read the Covenant Thou poor blind Creature how dare thou speak of it These that will say so it seems they never understood the League and Covenant because it is not a Bargain betwixt two Parties on Earth the one whereof breaking the other is free but these 3 Lands is one Party and the God of Heaven is the other Party therefore though England should break should Scotland break also the Covenant It is not after this Tenor We will endeavour Reformation in these Lands but if you break we will break also No it 's each Man swearing for himself that he shall in his Place and Station endeavour Reformation so that if it were left all to one Man he must endeavour Reformation For consider the last words of the Article each of them for themselves did lift up their hands to the Most High and so these 3 Lands are one Party and the other Party is the God of Heaven Consider seriously upon it for it 's the thing you must either suffer for or sin ere it be long without Remedy Whatever England and Ireland have done in breaking the Covenant we say they justly must smart for it according to the Word of God if God in mercy prevent it not nevertheless as long as there is in these Lands any who keep the Covenant we are bound to keep it and suppose there are many who had rather suffer for it than sin as Witness the many scattered Flocks and Shepherds in these Lands and supposing this were not though both England and Ireland should â—uite it yet Scotland is bound to it Objection 4 th We swear in the League and Covenant to that which is impossible and therefore it cannot be keeped Answâ—â— If all these 3 Kingdoms who have taken the Oath upon them would â—incerely stand to it I hope there should be no need to stand out agaiâ—â—t it The Objection is in this We have sworn to reform England noâ— for Answer We are not sworn to reform England neither is England â—worn to reform Scotland but that which is sworn is this Each of them are to endeavour in their Places and Callings the Reformation of Religion in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government in these Lands and to reform England according to the Word of God and the best Reformed Churches For though we had never sworn an Oath we are bound to promote the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ So that the Objection is rather out of Malice against the Word of God than any conscionable Principle he is not worth the Name of a Christian that condemns this for it is contrary to the Petition Thy Kingdom come So that we should study all Kingdoms Reformation that they may become the Kingdoms of our Lord. If the King and Parliament were studying to reform as much as they are studying to deface and deform there should be no need of this Objection Objection 5 th The Covenant which these Kingdoms entred into as to their own Reformation and as to the Reformation of all the rest it was too rashly and inconsiderately gone about Answer I. I question if any of you who moves the Objection knows what Consideration is was there not Deliberation when there was Protestants and Remonstrators for the poor Lands and at last they came to this with it to enter into Covenant wherefore it seems it was not indeliberate II. There was more Deliberation in it than many other Oaths in Scripture and yet they did stand as Judges 11.35 the Vow of Jephâ—hah when he met his Daughter who will deny but that was a rash Oath to vow whatsoever came out of his door first he should offer it up to the God of heaven And yet it did bind him while he says Alace my daughter thou hast brought me very low And might not his Daughter have said Father it 's but a rash Vow break it Nay says he I have opened my mouth unto the Lord and I cannot go back III. To confirm it more What would you think of a Covenant made between the People of the Lord and Heathens and no Counsel sought from the Lord Jos 9. The Covenant is made there with the People of Israel and the Gibeonites there you will see a Vow very rashly taken yea not so much as to seek Counsel from the Lord
shall be upon him Now seing it is so we are to expect he will avenge his Broken Covenant upon these Lands according to His Word Now the next thing in the Text is That the Breakers of Covenant with God God will recompense it upon their own heads this is the words of the Text My Oath that he hath despised c. Now to clear it to you who they are that are Despisers of the Covenant consider First That it is a Covenanter in Opinion and not in Practice that is to say There is not a Man that reforms not in his heart according to the Covenant but he is a Breaker of the same for this is the Articles of the Covenant Therefore know assuredly O ye Drunkards Adulterers Despisers of Ordinances and the People of God Sabbath Breakers Covetous Persons and Civilians who care for no more than an outward Profession if ye be not endeavouring Reformation and to keep the Covenant God's Vengeance shall be upon you Indeed we will hear many Folk who pretend to keep the Covenant But they will let an Oath flee when they like thou by so doing art a good Keeper of the Covenant indeed thou art guilty before God for thou never Covenanted in Heart and Affection 2 dly All those despise the Covenant that care not for it for there is no Indifferency here Therefore all the Three Kingdoms may expect Wrath from the Lord except they repent 3 dly These are Despisers of the Covenant who are Fathers of Lyes and Seditions and find out Shifts to shun it but whoever they be that are seeking Wiles to be freed of the Covenant whether King or Parliament God will send Vengeance on them We are not here to Preach Rebellion or Treason but what we shall warrant from the Lord's Word Zedekiah was a King and yet you find Vengeance came upon him and so did it upon Saul's House and Posterity for his Breach of Covenant therefore let all take head to it But what would you have us to do say ye 1 st Consider what Case these Lands stand in And what it is they ly under Is it not the Breach of Covenant and the Judgment of God will come upon them if he in mercy prevent it not Because we have sworn the Covenant and broken it therefore God has sworn That we shall not prosper O! Is there none among the Tribes of Israel to lament these things this day this sad Condition of these Three Lands that they are guilty of breach of Covenant and are under the threatning of most severe Judgments Will you then bewail it if you have any tenderness of heart each Man for himself and for his Family I know some Folk will say Let it even be so for we will never lift it up again but of this afterward now I would intreat you to beware of partaking of other Mens Sins lest ye partake of their Plagues and Judgments Wilt thou Vote with the King in Parliament to sin then thou must Vote for Judgments And I shall only say this Endeavour to cover your selves now with that which you would cover your selves with at the Day of Judgment There will never a Man come in and say The King must answer for me no no the King must answer for himself If you be not studying to keep these things the Covering will be too narrow for you that Day Again I would advise you to lay your thoughts aside from getting much of the World but see if ye can get this that 's in Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis which have not defiled their Garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy It was a time then of great Defection and these of them that continued stedfast were as Signs and Wonders O then walk now as you would desire to walk afterward for surely these that ly down with sin unpardoned in the Grave must resolve to ly in an eternal Bed of sorrow and these that keep themselves clean shall walk with the Lamb in white Now a word to that which I mentioned before What shall we do since these Lands have broken Covenant with God I tell you that Scotland is bound to keep it altho England and Ireland have broken it and altho Scotland broke yet Ireland and England are bound to stand to it Hos 4.15 Though thou Israel play the Harlot yet let not Judah offend that is to say As for you at this present time though England and Ireland have broken yet let not Scotland do so too Suppose there were but one Family in these Lands that would stand to it and if all that Family should turn their back upon it except one Person truly that Person is bound to stand to it Josh 24.15 Choose you whom you will serve but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. Here is but a Family so that if all the Kingdom should forswear the Covenant yet so long as I am Master of a Family I must serve the Lord I must not serve other gods that is to say We should not serve Popes nor Prelates c. But what if it come to this That there be no Man to bide by it at all but one Man That Man is bound to keep it according to Scripture read 1 Kings 19.14 I have been very jealous c. from which I conclude according to the Scriptures though England has forsaken yet Scotland is bound and tho' Scotland should forsake yet England is bound and tho' both should forsake yet one Family is bound to stand to it Therefore study to know your Duty lest the Wrath of God come upon you and your Posterity believe these things for our King and Princes Nobles and Ministers and all the People and our Posterity is bound to it So I leave it to you with this word Happy is that Man that shall be stedfast in the Covenant though all the rest should forsake it But as to the Persons who they are that shall continue stedfast God has reserved that to himself as a piece of his Sovereignty Again we hear not tell of a Publick Covenant ever sworn and broken but God visibly plagued the Breakers thereof There is no sin God would have Folk laying more to heart than the Breach of Covenant As I live saith the Lord surely mine Oath that he hath despised and my Covenant that he hath broken even it will I recompense upon his own head God useth not to trust Folk long that break Covenant without some visible Stroke as it was in Saul's Days and Zedekiah's If you would have a Mark upon your Foreheads and be keeped free from these things be sighing for the Abominations of these Lands Ezek. 9. Wo to the Man that 's rejoicing at this day Is there no Family found sighing for these thing if not all the World shall hear tell of their Punishment This we recommend to you and do not say that we did not give you warning For we have told you this from the Word of the Lord therefore receive it in love As for my self I know not what I may do yet though I should shrink from the Faith by my weakness which God forbid I ofttimes remember the words of Nehemiah and Jeremiah when they did testify against the People's sins and I do Protest against the Breach of Covenant that I may not be made accessary to other Folks sins and lest I be found guilty before the Lord and be made Partaker of other Men's Judgments This is the way that the Prophets did use this is no Rebellion or Treson For if they think it Rebellion or Treason and think it Censurable I commit them to the Prophets who are gone to their Place who did these things and first punish them and then me I commit all thir things to you Lord engrave them on your Hearts Amen FINIS