state by delayes your own guilt will be multiplied and greatened your hopes of reformation will be enfeebled and the whole Kingdom endangered Businesses of necessity call for quick dispatch and is there any worke of greater concernment then the worke of your God in endeavouring your own reformation and the reformation of his Church according to his word which is the matter of your Covenant I remember the words of Moses to Aaron Go quickly to the Congregation for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Num. 16. 46. And it is said that Aaron did run Blame me not but bear with me I beseech you if I appear warme in perswading your speed in acting according to your Covenant for I speak for the safety of a sinking Kingdom Are we not all on a flame which way can you cast your eyes but you shall see the sparkes of unbrotherly contentions rising as out of a furnace Alas alas we shall burne into ashes and from confusions fall into a ruinous heape if through Gods blessing upon Covenant-keeping-endeavours our misery be not prevented Pay your vows boldly with so much opennesse that the witnesse of your bonds may be witnesses likewise of your faithfullnesse Rule 3. in discharging them The resolution of David is herein imitable which he expresseth once and again in the same Psalme I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people in the presence of all his people yea in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Psal 116. 14 18 19. Is it any shame for a man to be honest and to pay his debts Wherefore then should men be loth to appear in the pursuance of their Covenants Act so publikely so couragiously for a full reformation according to the word of God and against Malignancy Sedition Heresie together with all other things destructive to the welfare of the three Kingdoms that both City and Countrey may understand your undaunted resolutions to keep Covenant with your God And if in this way of zeal and faithfullnesse you should meet with checks and affronts make ye that answer unto your opposers which brave-spirited David made unto mocking Michal If this be to be vile I will yet be more vile 2 Sam. 6. Keep Covenant with the Lord conscientiously Have respect unto God in paying as in making vows My text holds forth this Rule 4. openly as many other parallel Scriptures which I have formerly made use of Whatsoever we do which is materially comprehended in our Covenant we should do it because of the oath of God Eccles 8. 2. Do not only intend man-pleasing or selfe-seeking in the pursuance of your Covenant be not popular and vain-glorious but sincere and single-hearted in this service As in other acts of obedience so in this of Covenant-keeping have an eye unto your heavenly father who sees in secreet and he will reward you openly God forbid God forbid that any one of you should act against your brethren with an envious or malicious spirit under pretence of making good your Covenant O take heed unto your selves that you disgrace not this holy ordinance nor open the mouths of them who maligne our Covenant and would upon such like observations reproachfully asperse both you and it I will conclude this rule with the caution given by worthy Nehemiah Ought ye not to walke in the fear of our God because of the reproach of our enemies Neh. 5. 9. Be vigorous in the payment of your vows The command of Rule 5. God given unto Moses for the guiding of this businesse is here very considerable Leâ— 22. 21. Whosoever offereth a sacrifice to accomplish his vow it shall be perfect to be accepted there shall be no blemish in it When you pay your debts to God bring your best coyn put not off your light gold to God imploy and improve your very best for your God give him the flower of your wisedom strength authority and interests sit down and consider where your chiefest ability lyes and resolve with that to pay your vows Say thus unto your own souls seriously in secret I will beat mine own brains by study I will stir up my best friends by importunity and I will industriously take all courses within the compasse of my generall and particular calling that my selfe and my family that this Church and Common-wealth may be reformed and that unity betwixt England and Scotland may be preserved according to the solemne League and Covenant to quicken your care in this kinde remember those smart words Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver who hath a male in his flock and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my Name is dreadfull among the heathen Look to it therefore I beseech you thinke not to put God off with supine superficiall sleightnesse in Covenant-keeping If you have male-consolations male-affections male-endeavours male-adventures for other things God will not accept your female your cold faint feeble actings for him in the payment of your vows Therefore if you have any talent better then ordinary trade that for your God in the pursuance of your Covenant Keep Covenant with the Lord constantly I will sing praises Rule 6. to thy Name for ever saith David that I may daily performe my vows Psal 61. 8. you must not be like those Tenants who bring in their rents readily and misse not a day for the first year but grow carelesse afterward in making paiment according to their compacts and agreements The same heat which is in your hearts to day this day of your Covenant-renewing for reformation according to Gods word and against the hindrances and hinderers thereof must be kept burning in your bosomes so long as you shall live It is to be bewailed with tears of blood that the tract of time takes off the fervency of mens spirits for God in the worke of vowed-reformation How have we lost our first love How is our zeal for good and against evil of late abated The time was when our Covenant was much in our thoughts much in our mouthes when we moved others and provoked our selves to make conscience to keep it but now I am ashamed to speake it our Covenant is forgotten our Covenant is laid aside yea O that I had not occasion to add many repent their taking of the Covenant and some are not afraid to plead against it I heartily wish that the true causes of this great change were well enquired after My beloved Is Church-reformation according to Scripture grown lesse desireable Are pure ordinances lesse lovely in our eyes Is there now lesse danger of our undoing by malignancy popery divisions and heresie then heretofore Remember I pray you from whence you are fallen and do your first works in reference to your Covenant the obligation whereof continues upon your consciences Our God keeps Covenant to a thousand generations Deut. 7. 9. Let his example in
RELIGIOVS COVENANTING DIRECTED AND Covenant-keeping perswaded PRESENTED In a SERMON preached before the Right Honourable Thomas Adams Lord Major and the Right Worshipfull the Sheriffs and Aldermen his brethren and the rest of the Common-Councel of the famous City of LONDON January 14. 1645. Upon which day the solemne League and Covenant was renewed by them and their Officers with Prayer and Fasting at Michael Basing-shaw London By Simeon Ash Minister of the Gospel When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will require it of thee and it would be sin in thee Deut. 23. 21. I will bring the sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant Lev. 26. 25. LONDON Printed by G. M. for Tho. Vnderhill at the signe of the Bible in Wood-street M. DC XLVI TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS ADAMS Lord Major AND THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL The Sheriffs and Aldermen his Brethren and to the rest of the Honourable Court of Common Councel of the City of LONDON THis plain Sermon which attended your service of Covenant-renewing from the Pulpit comes now from the Presse in obedience to your command to do you and the publike some further service If upon the perusall of that which you heard preached it may please the Lord to quicken your zeal in Covenant-keeping I shall have occasion to blesse his Name with a joyfull heart The zeal of the Common-Councell of London in renewing their solemne League and Covenant rings thorow the severall Counties of the Kingdom of England and I am confident that the sound thereof hath been heard in many other Kingdoms And doubtlesse there are often enquiries and earnest expectations to hear what London now doth in the pursuance of their Covenant heretofore taken and now again solemnly renewed with holy fasting and prayer A City set upon an hill cannot be hid your practices have had and will have strong influences into the severall parts of this Land and into other Nations You have formerly and lately done well and worthily in respect to your Covenant I pray God that your continued holy zeal may affect and fire many in other Countries in faithfull Covenant-keeping God forbid that you should ever deserve thus to be stigmatized either by God or men Their heart was not right with God neither were they stedfast in their Covenant Psal 78. 37. I shall not need to tell you that our solemne League and Covenant is despised devided aspersed and opposed by too many for that which you may read in Pamphlets and hear from some Pulpits and other places doth make you both eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses of this evil which should be greatly bewailed This contradiction this opposition should increase your gracious heat for your God Fire gives out the most scorching heat in the coldest weather It is time for thee Lord to worke saith David for they have made void thy Law Therefore I love thy Commandements above gold yea above fine gold Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal 119. 126 127 128. My soul desires that according to the guidance of that wisedom which is from above you all may make the like gracious improvement of the checks and affronts which you meet with in your Covenant-keeping By how much the more any others do plot and practise to hinder the glorious worke of Church-reformation by so much the more do you consult and act to expedite and perfect it By how much the more any others strive and study to maintain Popery Prelacie Schisme Heresie by so much the more do you set your selves against such matters as being destructive to the welfare both of Church and state By how much the more others designe and endeavour to break the brotherly union between England and Scotland by so much the more do you lay forth your selves to maintain it And that your zeal in these kindes may appear to your selves and others to be pure and sincere let it be your chief and constant care to reforme your selves and all yours in every thing according to the will of God That you all may in these particulars and in all things else approve yaur selves faithfull both to God and man in holy Covenant-keeping shall be the prayer of him who is Your servant in and for Jesus Christ SIM ASH Feb. 24th RELIGIOVS COVENANTING DIRECTED PSAL. 76. II. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God THis Text perswades a double duty 1. To make vows 2. To pay vows unto the Lord our God From whence two truths seasonable for the service of the day fall naturally and easily without forcing into our consideration Doct. 1 That Gods people must make religious vows as his hand of providence doth lead them forth thereunto Doct. 2 That such vows being made must be payed unto the Lord our God In the handling of the former of these propositions I shall briefly give you 1. The explication 2. The application thereof The explication of the point I shall dispatch under these three heads 1. The Act required vow 2. The Agents or persons upon whom this duty is pressed This the following words expresse All those that be round about him 3. The providences whereby God calleth forth to this practice of making vows First Holy vows are the solemn engagements of the soul unto the Lord according to his will If a man vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to binde his soul with a bond Numb 30. 2. To vow to swear and to covenant are in Scripture phrase equivalent importing the same thing Jonathan made a Covenant with David And Jonathan caused David to swear again 1 Sam. 29. 16 17. Here I may not spend time in discoursing concerning the severall sorts of vows which might be spoken to under these or such like heads 1. They are either made to God or man 2. Of things necessary or arbitrary 3. Explicite or implicite mentall or vocall 4. Assertory or promissory But let it be sufficient that I now suggest thus much That the Text is to be understood of such vows as are promissory obligations unto the Lord. And from hence I shall perswade and direct the managing of such vows unto God as are necessary and openly unfolded to every ordinary understanding in the solemn League and Covenant this day to be renewed Secondly the Actors in this duty are described to be such as are round about the Lord. The Psalmist hath reference to Numb 2. 2. where Israel was commanded to pitch their Tents round about the Tabernacle which was a signe of Gods speciall presence And this phrase as I conceive describeth Gods people by a double character 1. Their speciall attendance upon God their readinesse to receive and obey his commands As the four and twenty Elders are said Rev. 4. 4. to be round about the Throne as pres'd to praise the Lord. 2. Gods speciall presence in the midst of
How many oppressions are we freed from by Parliamentary authority through the goodnesse of our God Therefore besides other presents of praise which God deserves at our hands we have just occasion to present our selves unto his Hignesse by Covenant-renewing Fourthly Notwithstanding our various and glorious experiences of Gods patience and goodnesse Have we not too much cause thus to complain that to this day we want hearts to husband Gods remarkable providences to his honour and our own advantage Who loves God more or who serves him better because of the great things he hath done for us Is our faith in Gods promises stronger Is our fear of Gods displeasure greater Are we more zealous for the Lord of Hosts or more couragious for his truth against errour Dare we say that we do our utmost for the speeding of Church-reformation that we may not be over-run and undone by Sects Schismes and confusions Therefore certainly we have a call to renew our Covenant to quicken our improvement of Gods gracious providences both to his praise others profit and our own further comfort in Christ Fiftly and lastly That we may not fall from our stedfastnesse we have need to binde our selves yet further unto our God by solemne Covenant Men are wont as I have heard to hoop their vessels with iron bonds in which they carry their stronger liquors beyond seas that by the tossings in the ship and the liquors working the vessels may not be broken into pieces and the liquor lost And have not we more need to add the bond of a solemne Covenant to the bond of Gods sacred commands that we may not be broken from one another nor divided from God in his truths and holy worships in these broken erroneons stormy tempestuous times For 1. Emulation variance strife seditions heresies are reckoned Gal. 5. up by the Apostle amongst the works of the flesh unto which our corrupt natures do strongly dispose us 2. There are more then a good many of subtle busie factours in this City to promote errours schismes and factions of severall sorts to draw disciples after them and to spread their infection amongst people of all rankes and qualities 3. It is apparent by too many instances that divers persons both wise and godly have been deceived and drawn aside from the wayes of truth into the by-paths of errour and schisme and into practices of bitternesse I will not say of how many kindes against their brethren Therefore in this respect as in those before mentioned you have just cause to say one to another Come let us joyn our selves unto the Lord in a Covenant never to be forgotten Vse 2 Having thus far endeavoured to clear up your call unto Covenant-renewing I now proceed by way of exhortation to perswade your regular and reverentiall cautiousnesse in this weighty businesse Consider the glorious Majesty of God unto whom vows are to be made He ought to be feared as our translation renders the words following the Text or He is fear as the Originall hath it In which phrase we have Nomen affectus pro objecto God is a dreadfull and terrible Majesty And this doubtlesse is added to awe mens hearts in the undertaking of such like services The advice of Solomon upon this ground is more open Eccles 5. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth In which counsell the wise man hath speciall reference unto vowing as the following words declare Now for your guidance in this great service I will give you briefly some plain and necessary rules 1. You must Covenant knowingly It is thus openly expressed of them who covenanted in the dayes of Nehemiah Every one having knowledge and having understanding they clave to their brethren they entred into an oath to walke in Gods Law Neh. 10. 29. Ignorance doth nothing well the light of knowledge must guide our whole course And in this businesse of a sacred vow it is necessary that men know both the nature of the duty and the matter of the federall engagement No man should be moved by an implicite faith but every one should be fully perswaded in his own minde For as in other cases so in this whatsoever is not of faith is sin 2. Repentance for former offences must precede and prepare for Covenant-renewing Thus it was with those who sealed and subscribed the solemne Covenant in the time of Nehemiah for they assembled themselves to keep a religious Fast as we do this day before they entered into the Covenant Neh. 9. 1. In which exercise deep sorrow for sin was expressed their particular evils were aggravated and largely confessed themselves were judged and God was justified in his severe administrations All these expressions of repentance are manifest in that 9th Chapter of Nehemiah which then was the introduction to the Covenant And doubtlesse if we do not penitently bewail our former violations of Gods commands and our own vows we cannot with acceptation to God or with comfort in our own hearts renew our Covenant with him this day 3. Your hearts must go along with your vows It is said â— Chron 15 15 That all Judah did swear with all their hearts And God will not take up with lesse at our hands this day It is no better then hypocrisie to lift up hands before God when the heart is far from him We must in our judgements approve and resolve upon the payment of our vows and all our affections both concupiscible and irascible must be upon the wing according to the various particularities expressed in the Covenant The soul should with love joy and longings worke towards the speedy setling of Church-governement according to the word of God and towards the maintaining of brotherly union between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland together with the more full reformation of our selves and families And O how should your souls now rise in holy dislike in the hatred of and in indignation against Popery and all profanenesse against Heresies Schisme detestable Neutrality and whatsoever else it is which is against God and the wellfare of these Kingdoms 4. Our Covenanting must be accompanied with humility 1. From the sense of our own weaknesses to keep touch with God in comming up fully to the Covenant we should lean to his promise and take hold on his strength Say as the Church Through God we shall do valiantly Psal 60. 11. And as the blessed Apostle did Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Jesus Christ strengthening me 2. And being apprehensive of our own unworthinesse to receive any ability from the Lord seeing by our sins we have enfeebled our own spirits therefore we should humbly petition for divine assistance Herein imitate David who having thus in resolution and promise expressed himself before God I will keep thy statutes he immediatly adds O forsake me not utterly Psal 119. 8. The more of the
spirit of self-deniall and prayer is in your hearts when you take the Covenant the more hope there will be of your keeping it afterwards 5. Come to the Covenant conscientiously Be not acted only by the appointments expectations or practices of men in this particular Let not this be the alone motive upon your spirits Covenant-renewing is ordered by the Court of Common-Councel But rather reason thus The manifold providences of God before specified do call unto this service and therefore we will undertake it If you respect not God in the worke you shall lose both accept 6. Covenant fiducially If your spirits act sincerely according to the fore-named directions then be you confident that the consequence of this dayes service will be comfortable Although your weaknesses are many and great yet if your hearts be herein found upright with God you may hopefully perswade your selves that the Lord will so far regard his own ordinance and have respect unto the mediation of Christ the Messenger the Mediatour of the new-Covenant that your worke shall be crowned with good successe You heard before that Enemy-conquering providences made way unto the exhortation in the Text Vow and pay unto the Lord your God And I conceive that the verse following is considerable being the language of faith He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth The most potent adversaries of the Church shall be brought down by holy Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping with God Now this lets me into the consideration of my next Doctrine Doctr. That vows made must be paid unto the Lord our God Although a vow must not be made a bond of iniquity and therefore unlawfull vows rather call for repentance then performance as Davids rash revengefull resolution against churlish Nabal Yet such Covenants as we make according to Gods will we must make good in conscience to his commandment Pay that which thou hast vowed saith Solomon Better it is that thou shouldest not vow then that thou shouldest vow and not pay it Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin Eccles 5. 4 5. The Scribes and Pharisees were but sleighty superficiall Expositours of Gods Law yet they were wont thus to publish Gods command Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt performe unto the Lord thine oaths Mat. 5. 33. In the prosecution of this plain profitable seasonable and necessary point I shall faithfully endeavour three things 1. To perswade this duty by arguments 2. To guide this practice by rules 3. To promote your obedience herein by some short directions The motives whereby we may be induced to make good our honest and holy vows shall be cast under severall heads that my Motives progresse in them may be the more easie and edifying 1. From the nature of a vow in generall and from sundry circumstances considerable in our Covenant particularly In generall 1. All vows are sacred obligations upon our consciences If any saith Moses vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to binde his soul with a bond Numb 30. 2. c. In this respect the holy Psalmist resolved upon this duty Psal 56. 12. Thy vows are upon me O Lord I will render praises And doubtlesse every gracious heart will be sensible of this great spirituall engagement 2. By means of vows we become Gods debtors Hence it is that the Text calls for payment Vow and pay I here remember the speech of the Prophet unto the poor widow 2 King 4. 7. Go sell thine oyl and pay the debt And the Holy Ghost gives in this as a note of a wicked man Psal 37. 21. He borroweth and payeth not again You Merchants who have great dealings in the world would you not be ashamed to appear upon the Exchange if you were not carefull to pay your debts unto men Therefore vow and pay unto the Lord your God More particularly there are sundry weighty circumstances considerable in regard of our solemn League and Covenant which may worke our hearts unto serious resolutions to keep it 1. The materials of our Covenant are lawfull and justifiable we vow to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie schisme profanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse And have we not good reason thus to do For have not these things much endangered the welfare both of this Church and Common-wealth already and will not the indulging of such matters prove destructive both to our publike hopes and comforts We vow sincerely really constantly through the grace of God to endeavour the reformation of Religion in Doctrine worship Discipline and Government according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches I shall not need to specifie our engagements to defend the Kings person and authority in the preservation of the true Religion to preserve the priviledges of Parliament as also to continue a firme peace and union between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland These and other things expressed in the Covenant are by you Covenanters accounted just and equall I remember Davids resolution Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements And if we judge the materials of our Covenant righteous we should in that regard lay the greater charge upon our consciences to keep it 2. Our vows are deliberate The nature of this ordinance hath been unfolded the severall Articles in the Covenant have been considered of and therefore the rather to be observed Rash vows binde conscience if the keeping of them prove only in inexpediencies prejudiciall to our selves and contradict not any of Gods ever-binding laws Therefore Solomon calling for the payment of vows tells people that they must not thinke to put off that obligation by saying It was an errour Eccl. 5. an inconsiderate oversight And we all know that when Israel was bound to the Gibeonites by an oath through a mistake being over-reached by a cheat All the Princes said to all the Congregation We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them Josh 9. 19. How then shall we be excused if our premiditated vows be not performed 3. We have vowed before many witnesses Men who stand much upon their credit and reputation in the world will be taken with this argument When King Herod was caught in a snare by his heady vow and being troubled because the dancing Damsell demanded the head of John the Baptist it is said Neverthelesse for the oath sake and them which sate with him at meat he commanded it to be given her Mat. 14. 9. Consider how many have seen you lift up your hands unto the most High possessour of Heaven and earth in holy Covenanting Remember how many thousands know that the vows of God are upon you and be you hereby prevailed with to keep touch with him 4. Hereto I might add the consideration both of the
this particular perswade your constancy Be not weary of well doing be not discouraged by disappointments be not beaten off by difficulties delayes oppositions but proceed according to your callings and conditions to promote that blessed reformation which is under hand In due time you shall reap if you faint not Finis coronat opus Be you faithfull in your Covenant unto death and you shall receive the crown of life I have done with my Rules now give me leave to give in some few helps that you may act accordingly and I will conclude all That you may be able to keep touch with God in point of Covenant take these very short directions 1. Worke well into your hearts the knowledge of all the forementioned Directions particulars produced to perswade Covenant-keeping A wise man saith Solomon is strong yea a man of knowledge increaseth strength or strengtheneth might Prov. 24. 5. Scripture-truths clearly understood convey according to Gods Ordinance spirituall abilities into the souls of men to act accordingly As the warme beams of the summer sun administer vivacity to the creatures both vegetative and sensitive Therefore I humbly advise you to put your selves often under the power of those truths which may convince you of the necessity and equity of paying your vows unto the Lord your God and I doubt not but by means of serious meditation you shall finde more activity herein to do your duty While I was musing saith David the fire burned Psal 39. 3. The bellows of meditation will produce the flame of zeal out of the small heat of holy desires to keep Covenant with God 2. Act conscientiously according to that measure of strength which you have received We all know by experience that exercise increaseth bodily strength and questionlesse Christians finde the truth hereof in their souls Solomon assures us Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright The further we walke on in the wayes of faithfullnesse with God and for God the more able we shall be to make good our foederall engagements unto his Majesty Do you not all remember that famous story of the well-minded widow lamenting her inability to pay her debts whose little stock of oyl was multiplied by pouring forth 2 King 4. I beseech you make a spirituall improvement of this experiment give out those gifts graces which you have received in the paiment of your vows and be you confident of increase In this sense habenti dabitur trade your two talents or your five for your Masters use and they shall be doubled arise and be doing and the Lord will be with you Many of you know to your comfort that a small stock traded is grown up to a great estate I pray you make practicall application 3. Minde your selves and minde one another often of your solemne Covenant This was Gods own direction in this case 2 King 17. 39 The Covenant which I have made with you ye shall not forget Among men many promises are not performed because they are not remembred And so it is likewise in many of our obligations unto God forgetfullnesse is sometimes one cause of some unfaithfullnesse The Psalmists connexion Psal 103. 18. is considerable Those that keep his Covenant and those who remember his Commandements to do them There is an Order of Parliament requiring Ministers to reade the solemne League and Covenant in the Congregation upon our Monethly Fast dayes And I humbly move that there may be an Order of the Common-Councel of this famous City that the Covenant which you this day renew may once at least in every quarter of the year be read amongst you by means hereof you would be quickned to appear both jointly and severally in courses to promote both private and publike reformation according to your Covenant 4. Seek strength from Heaven by faith and prayer The holy Apostle holding up to Jesus Christ by humble confidence could say I can do all through Christ strengthening me Phil. 4. 13. And the Psalmist makes this report of the successe of his prayer In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Psal 138. 3. Your selves best know wherein Covenant-keeping sticks most with your selves you are acquainted with your own remoraes your own difficulties in this service Consider that your helpe lies in the Lord your God therefore fetch it thence by fervent believing prayers plead the promises of Gods Covenant with you through Christ that you through him may be able to deal faithfully to do worthily and be you confident that the Lord will never be wanting unto the soul which seeks him in truth He hath not said to the house of Jacob Seek ye me in vain FINIS