2.28 Which in the immediate Verse 〈…〉 is a 〈◊〉 prâ—miâ—â— You shall abide in him Divers more such Instances I could give you and why thus Surely the 〈…〉 teacheth us our Dutie the Promise our weaknesse and 〈…〉 to perform that luty The Command finds us work the 〈◊〉 findes us streâ—â—th The command is to keep us from 〈…〉 the promiâ—â— to keep us from being discouraged c. Wâ—ll 〈…〉 God and as he couples a command and a 〈…〉 so let us couple a Resolution and a Petition As 〈…〉 seconds and backs his command with his promise so let us second and back our promises with our Prayers the onâ— in sence of our duty the other in sence of our weaknesse by the one to bring our hearts up to God by the other to bring God down to our hearts Resolve and Petition Promise and Prâ—â—y 〈…〉 And the Lord prepare your heart to pray and cause his â—â—r to 〈◊〉 Secondly Since God onely must uphold your desires Wâ—â—â— continually as in his presence Sâ—â—ilitie is onely to be found in the prefence of God So faire we live an unchangeable life as we walk and live in the presence of an unchangeable God The â—aints 〈◊〉 Heaven know no vicissitudes or changes in their holy franâ—e and temper of spirit because they are perfected in the 〈◊〉 holding of his face With whom is no variablenesse nor 〈…〉 And so farre as the Saints on Earth can 〈…〉 in their presence so farre the presence of God will keep them Isa 〈…〉 〈…〉 the Lord alwayes before me and because he is â—t my right hand therefore I shall not be moved sung David of â—â—mself liberally and in the person of Christ typically The priâ—â—ledge was made good to both so far as either made good the Dutie David according to his degree and proportion of grace 〈◊〉 God before him placed him on his right hand and so long as he could keep Gods presence the presence of God kept him it kept him from sin I have kept my self from my iniquitie Ps 18 13 how so Why I was upright before him in the former part of the same Verse So long as he walkt before God in Gods presence so long he walkt upright and kept himself from his iniquitie or rather Gods presence kept him And as it kept him from sin so it kept him from fear also Psa 23.4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will not fear Mark what he saith Though he walk not step and walk through not step crosse and through not a dark Entry or a Church-yard in the night time but a Valley a large long vast place How many miles long I know not And this not a Valley of darknesse onely but of death where he should see nothing but visions of death and not bare death but the shadow of death the shadow is the dark part of the thing so that the shadow of death is the darkâ—st side of death Death in its most hideous and horrid representations and yet behold when he comes out at the farther end and a man would have thought to have found him all in a cold sweat his hair standing upright his eyes set in his head and the man beside himself c. Behold I say he doth not so much as change colour his hand shakes not his heart fails not as he went in he comes out and though he should go back again the same way he tells you I will not fear How comes this to passe how comes the man to be so undaunted Why he will tell you in the very same Verse speaking to God For thou art with me Gods presence kept him from fear in the midst of death and horror Thus it was I say with David while he could keep God in his presence he was unmoveable impregnable You might as soon have stirred a Rock as stirred him I shall not be moved Indeed so long as he was upon the Rock he was as unmoveable as the Rock it self But alas sometime he lost the sight of his God and then he was like other men Thou didst hide thy face from me Psa 30 7. and I was troubled When God hid his face from him or he hid his eyes from God 1 Sam. 29 1. then how easiâ—ly is he moved Fear breaks in I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul Sin breaks in yea one sin upon the heels of another the adulterous act upon the adulterous look and murder upon adultery as you know in that sad businesse of Vriah the Hittit once off from his Rock and he is as weak as dust not able to stand before the least temptation of sin or fear Psa 61 2. and therefore as soon as he comes to himself again he cryes Oh lead me to the Rock that is higher then I To my Rock Lord to my Rock But now The Lord Jesus the Antitype of David here in this Psalm because he made good this Dutie shall I call it For in him dwelt the fulnesse of the Godhead Gâ—l 2.9 bodilie to him therefore was this priviledge made good perfectly in the highest degree for though he had temptations that never man had and was to do that which never man did and to suffer that which never man suffered the contradiction of sinners the rage of Hell and the wrath of God Yet Because he set the Lord alwayes at his right hand yea indeed was alwayes at the right hand of God therefore he was not moved but overcame even by suffering Beloved you see where stabilitie in Covenant is to be had even in the presence of God labour I beseech you to walk in his presence and to set him alwayes at your right hand Behold it shall keep you so that you shall not be moved or if you be moved you shall not be removed if you stumble you shall not fall or if you fall you shall not fall away you shall rise again There is a double advantage in it First It will keep your hearts in awe He that sets God in his presence dares not sin in his presence God sees will make the heart say How shall I do this great evill and sin against God Secondly Ps 16.12 There is Joy in it In thy presence is fulnesse of joy it is true in its proportion of grace as well as of glory and joy will strengthen and stablish as I shewed you before The joy of the Lord is your strength Psal 91. â— 10 As long as the childe is in its fathers eye and the father in its eye it is secure Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the mâ—st high thy habitation there shall no evill befall thee c. It will hold as well in the evils of sin as in the evils of punishment Well the Lord make you know these precious truths in an experimentall manner I have hâ—ld you too long but the businesse requires it Remember I beseech you
with none but such as will bear weight in the ballance of the Sanctuary such as the Word will secure such as to which the Word will bear witnesse that they are inconsistent with any Christlesse man or woman whatsoever And pray with unweariable suppliceations that God will not onely give thee interest but cleer thy interest and seal up interest upon thy soul and thee to the day of Redemption And then secondly 2 2 Go to Christ for influence Studie influence when once in Christ then hast thou right and liberty to draw vertue from Christ For behold All the fulnesse that dwels in Christ is thin all that life and strength and grace and redemption that is held forth in the promise it is all laid up in Christ as in a Magazine and by vertue of thy interest in and union with the Lord Jesus it is all become thinâ— Hence you hear the believing soul making her boast of Christ as before for righteousnesse Isa 45.24 so also for strength In the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength as righteousnesse for acceptance so strength also for performance of such duties as God in his Covenant doth require and expect at the beleevers hands I have no strength of mine own but in Christ I have enough In the Lord I have righteousnesse and strength Christ is the Lord-keeper or Lord high Steward or Lord-Treasurer to receive in and lay out * Psal 68.18 â—e received â—phe 48 begâ—e gifts c. for and to all that are in Covenant with the Father And this is one main Branch of Gods Covenant with the Redeemer that he give out to the Heirs of promise wherewithall to enable them to keep their Covenant with God so that they never depart from him As for me Isa 59.25 this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever They be the words of God the Father to the Redeemer concerning all his Spirituall Seed The Redeemer shall come to Sion Vers 24. And that spirit and these words of life and grace which were upon the Redeemer must be propagated to all his believing Seed by vertue whereof their Covenant with God shall in its proportion be like Gods Covenant with them for indeed the one is but the counterpart of the other unchangeable everlasting I will make an everlasting Covenant with them Jer. 32 40 that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart away from me Now therefore my Brethren since there is enough in Christ study how to draw it out Indeed it will require a great deal of holy skill to do it It requires wisedom to draw out the excellencies of a man Counsell in the heart of a man is deep Prov. 20.3 but a man of understanding will draw it out It is a fine art to be able to peirce a man that is like a Vessell full of Wine and set him a running but to draw out influence and vertue from the Lord Jesus is one of the most secret hidden Mysteries in the life of a Christian indeed we may complain John 4. The Well is deep and we have nothing to draw withall But labour to get your Bucket of faith that you may be able to draw water out of this Well of Salvation Isa 12. Labour by vitall acts of a powerfull faith set on work in Mediation and Prayer to draw vertue and influence from Jesus Christ the Mouth of Prayer and the breathings of Faith from an heart soakt and steept in holy Meditations applyed to Jesus Christ will certainly though perhaps insensibly draw vertue from him Behold Faith drew vertue from Christ by a touch of his Garments shall it not much more draw out that rich and precious influence by applying of him in the promises and in his Offices unto our souls Consider oh Christian who ever thou art even thou that art in Christ consider God hath not trusted thee with grace enough before hand for one moneth no not for a week a day Nay thou hast not grace enough before hand for the performance of the next duty or the conquering of the next temptation nor for the expediting thy self out of the next difficulty And why so But that thou mayst learn to live by continuall dependance upon Jesus Christ as Paul did Gal. 2.20 The life that I now live in the flesh I live it by the faith of the Son of God Paul lived by fresh influence drawn from Christ by faith every day and hour study that life it is very Mysterious but exceeding precious Had we our stock before hand we should quickly spend all and prove bankrupts 1 Cor. 1.36 God hath laid up all our treasure of Wisedom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption in Jesus Christ and will have us live from hand to mouth that so we might be safe and Gods free grace be exalted Rom. 12.16 It is of faith that it might be by grace to the end your promise might be sure to all the seed Wherefore holy Brethren partakers of this heavenly calling look up to Jesus Christ who is the Covenant of his Father and your Covenant loe he calls you Look unto me Isai 48.22 and be yee saved all the ends of the earth Surely they are worthy to perish who will not bestow a look upon Salvation Oh look humbly and look beleevingly and look continually look for Interest look for Influence look for Righteousnesse look for Strength and let Jesus Christ be All in All to thy soul thou wilt never be any thing nor do any thing in Christianity till thou comest to live in and upon Jesus Christ and him onely Humbly entreat the Lord and give him no rest That he will make a Covenant with thee in Christ which shall keep thee and then thou wilt be able to keep thy Covenant Look up to Christ for Covenant-grace to keep Covenant-engagement and so shalt thou do this service in a Gospel-sence to Acceptation to Perpetuitie I have now done with these three Quaeres What Why How How to Acceptation Perpetuitie I know much more might be added but the work to which we are to addresse our selves will take up much time the Lord set home what hath been spoken Onely give me leave to tell you thus much in a word for the close of all As this Covenant prospers with us so we are like to prosper under it The welfare of the Kingdom and of thy soul is bound up now in this Covenant For I remember what God speaks of the Kingdom of Israel brought into Covenant now with the King of Babylon to serve him and to be his Vassals 〈◊〉 17.13 14. Vers 16.17
of the first Branch I shall endeavour these three things 1. I shall shew you what Covenant abuse or violation is or wherein it doth consist 2. I shall lay you down some demonstrations to prove the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely That it is sc 3. I will lay you down the Grounds which shall give you an account of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely how it comes to passe that Covenant-violation amounts to such a High Quarrell between God and a people Covenant violation consists For the first 1 1. In wilfull neglect Covenant abuse or violation consists in these three things 1. In a contemptuous Wilfull neglect and refusall of it when God doth graciously invite a people or person to come into Covenant with him so it is reported of those wicked Ephramites Manassites and Zebulunites that when Hezâ—kiah sent a gracious Message unto them to invite them to turn again unto the Lord from whom they were departed by a grievous backsliding and to keep the feast of the Passeover which was the seale of the Covenant they added this aggravation to all their former Rebellions they refused the Message 2 Chro. 30.9 10 and laughed the Messengers to scorne and mocked them 2. It doth consist in an undue manner of taking of it 2 2. In an undue manner of taking it as 1. Rashly 2 Rottenly Psal 78.36 37. and that in divers respects First When people take it rashly in opposition unto Judgement one of the qualifications required to an Oath Jerem. 4.2 Of which more hereafter Secondly When they take it rottenly in opposition to sincerity as it is complained of the Israelites They did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues For their heart was not upright with him c. When men come with their Idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face that is When they come to these or the like solemne duties with the love of any one sin upon their hearts this is to play the Hypocrite with God and to prophane his Covenant 3. 3 3. Unhallowedly When men come unhallowedly to this duety with unprepared hearts and unsanctified affections not labouring to get their hearts into an holy Ordinance frame 4. When they come Inordinately with base low 4 4. Inordinately carnall and self-ish ends as those Sechemites did in the Gen. 34. v. 22 23. who were perswaded to be circumcised which was the * Rom 4.10 signe and scale of the Covenant of God with his people upon carnall hopes and expectations of increasing their substance and enriching themselves by this means Vers 22. Onely herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us to be one people If every Male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised Vers 23. Shall not their Cattell and their substance and every Beast of theirs be ours This God reproves in his own people Ezek. 33.31 With their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse A Covenant in the mouth but covetousnesse in the heart their own base earthly covetous ends they brought with them to the holy things of God 3 3. It consists in gracelesse breaking of the Covenant Thirdly Covenant violation doth consist in a gracelesse and carelesse breaking of it either by making a wicked Apostasie from it or rising up in a cursed rebellion against it A Wickednesse complained of all a long the Scriptures 1 Kings 19.14 The children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thâ—e Altar c. Psal 78.10 They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walke in his Law Vers 37. Neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jere. 11.10 The house of Israel and the house of Juda have broken my Covenant which I made with their Fathers Isai 24.5 They have transgressed the Law changed the Ordinance broken the everlasting Covenant It were easie to multiply more Instances but these may serve And thus much for the first Quaere scil Wherein Covenant-Violation doth consist 2. Demonstrations to prove the Doctrine 1. The Saints bewayâ—ing tâ—â—s sin The second thing that I undertook is to give you some Demonstrations To shew That Covenant-Violation is matter of a high Quarrell between God and a People which will appear if we consider First That the discerning servants of God in Scripture such as have been acquainted with God and have seen into the nature of sin have bewailed this sin with their most brinish tears and deepest groans and agonies of spirit It is enough to break ones heart to read with what heart-breaking-sighes those holy men of God Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel have bewailed this sin lying in the dust at Gods feet Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and â—lush to list up my sace to thee wy God c. So cryes Ezra c. And again Vers 13. After all this is come upon us for our evill deads for our great trespasse seeing that thou our God hath punished 〈◊〉 lesse then our iniquities deserve and hast given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments Vers 15. O Lord God of Israel thou art righteous for we remain yet escaped as it is this day Behold we are before thee in our trespasses for we cannot stand before thee because of this Nehemiah is very Patheticall in the confession of this sin all along the ninth Chapter of that Book weeping out this godly sorrow as it were with tears of blood Daniel is covered with confusion of face when he bewailed this sin of Covenant-Violation in the ninth Chapter of his Prophesie O Lord righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces Ver. 7. And again O Lord to me belongs confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes c. Vers 8. It is breach of Covenant he bewails with so much confusion of face and brokennesse of heart in that Chapter Secondly Covenant-violation is a sin 2 Censured in and by the very Heathen highly censured in the very poor pur-blind Heathen It stands as an Infamy and a Brand upon them in that Catalogue of their sins Rom. 1.31 Covenant-breakers Yea it was a sin that as blind as they were they were able by the very light of nature to discover in the People of God and could give it as the accompt of that ruine and disolation which befell them demanding of one another as they passed by the ruines of Jerusalem Jerem. 22. Vers 8. Whereâ—orâ—â—ath the Lord done thus unto this great City then shall they answer Vers 9. Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God Thirdly It may appear to be a Quarrell of a high nature 3 3. The fearfull judgements wherewith it is threatned if we consider the grievous judgements wherewith the Lord hath threatned and avenged this sin as here in the text The Sword with a black Regiment of other dreadfull judgements following Vers
the Covenant of God do not stand out in refusing to be humbled for your refusalls You that have been Rash and Rotten sleight and Carnall and hypocriticall in taking the Covenant be not so in your confessions of and humiliations for this great sin of yours whereby God is provoked labour to be deep and down right serious solid and substant all in your mournings and lamentations over your sin your selves and the Kingdom You that have broken the Covenant of your God over and over again Lach. 12.10 labor to get your hearts broken for this sin and to that end look upon him whom you have pierced whose skin and whose flesh and whose heart and whose soul you have broken by Covenant breaches Heb 6.6 not while he hung upon the Crosse onely but as the Apostle Have crucified him a fresh to your selves and put him to an open shame Oh look upon him his tears his wounds his blood c. Till vour eyes run down with tears your hearts be wounded and your souls even melt into blood within you And from thence even turn your eyes also to look upon them whom ye have pierced your slain wounded Bretheren Behold those many thousands that lye slain in the high places of the field Behold those many hundreds thatly sick and bleeding almost to the death of the wounds which your sins especially your treacherous dealing in the Covenant of God have made upon their bodies Oh cry with David I have sinned these poor sheep what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee Oh Lord my God be upon me and upon my fathers house Oh would it not melt any heart that were not harder then the Rock in the Wildernesse to see so many poor Creatures bleeding languishing dying slain under the guilt of our Covenant-prophanation I may say unto you as once Pharaohs servants said to him Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed Know you not yet that England is almost destroyed Oh it would break your hearts to hear the reports of the Western and many of the Northern parts of the Land How sad how black how desolate What a face of ruine and destruction there is to be seen upon them The Beasts of the field cut off The wayfaring man ceaseth The Inhabitants driven from their habitations and the little remnant stript naked bare seeking for Bread to relieve your souls with perill of their lives Lam. 5 9. under unspeakable miseries and afflictions doubtlesse to see what thousands feel it would make us weary of our lives while in a word those Countries and places which before the Destroyer were as a Garden of Eden behinde him are as a desolate Wildernesse Bretheren we have almost broken the Nation in pieces there is yet a little life left Oh lift up your voices for the remnant that remains Labour to break your hearts into a thousand pieces A broken heart is the sacrifices of the Lord. Psal 52.17 So many pieces so many sacrifices Oh take these and upon the Altar which God hath set up The Lord Jesus Christ is our Altar upon this Altar let us offer these Sacrifices And the Lord poure out upon us the Spirit of Compassion and Compunction the Spirit of Grace and Supplication That this day as the rest may be a day of Attonement and Reconciliation wherein our God may be pacified towards us and reconciled unto us in the Lord Jesus A broken and a contrâ—â— heart O God thou wilt not despise The Second Sermon Preached at Milk-street upon Saturday Evening September 30. For the preparation to the COVENANT The second Vse Exhortation SInce Covenant-violation is a matter of so high a Quarrell as for the avenging whereof God sends a Sword upon a Church or Nation for which it is more then probable the Sword is upon us at this prefent A nos 7.4 it having almost devoured Ireland already and eaten up a great part of England also Let us engage our Counsell and all the Interest we have in Heaven and Earth for the taking up of this Controversie Let us consider what we have to do what way there is yet left us for the Reconciling of this Quarrell else we and our Families are all but the children of death and destruction This Sword that is drawn and devoured so much Christian Protestant flesh already will it is to be feared go quite through the Land and in the pursuite of this Quarrell cut off the remnant till our Land be desolate and our Cities waste and England be made as Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of the fierce anger of Jehovah Somewhat I have spoken already in the former Use to this purpose Jerem. 3.13 viz. To acknowledge our iniquites that we have transgressed against the Lord our God To get our hearts broken for breaking the Covenant to lay it so to heart that God may not lay it to our charge c. But this looks backward Somewhat must be done de futuro For time to come That may not onely compose the Quarrell but lay a sure foundation of an After Peace between God and the Kingdom And for that purpose a Means lies before us an Opportunity is held forth unto us by the hand of Divine Wisdom and goodnesse of known use and successe among the People of God in former times which is yet to me a gratious intimation and a farther argument of hope from Heaven that God hath not sworn against us in his wrath nor sealed us up a People devoted to destruction but hath yet a minde to enter into terms of peace and reconciliation with us to receive us into Grace and Favour to become our God and to own us for his People if yet we will go forth to meet him and accept of such honourable termes as shall be propounded to us And that is by renewing our Covenant with him yea by entring into a more full and firme Covenant then ever heretofore For as the Quarrell was raised about the Covenant so it must be a Covenant more solid and substantiall that must compose the Quarrell as I shall shew you hereafter and that is the service and the priviledge that lies before us the work of the next day So that me thinks I hear this Use of Exhortation which now I would commend unto you speaking unto us in that Language Jere. Jer. 50.5 50.5 Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that shall not be forgotten It is the voyce of the Children of Israel and the Children of Judah returning out of Captivity Vers 4. The children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together Seeking the Lord whom they had lost and enquiring the way to Sion from whence their Idolatry and Adulteries had cast them out themselves become now like the Doves of the Valley mourning and weeping because they had perverted their way and forgotten the Lord their God Vers 4.5 Going and weeping they shall go and seek the
Lord their God they shall ask the way to Sion with their faces thitherward And if you enquire when this should be The fourth Verse tells you In those dayes And if you ask again what dayes those are Interpreters will tell us of a threefold day wherein this Prophesie or Promise is to be fulfilled A threefold day of making good the Prophefie 1. The literall day That is The Literall or Inchoative Day That is The Evangelicall or Spirituall Day That is The Vniversall or Perfect Day First There is a literall or inthoative day here prophefied of and that is already past past long since Namely in that day wherein the seventy yeers of the Babylonian Captivity expired then was this Prophesie or Promise begun in part to be accomplished At what time the Captivity of Judah and divers of Israel with them upon their return out of Babylon Ezra 8.21 kept a folemn Fast at the River Ahava to afflict their souls before their God There may you see them going and weeping To seek of him aright way for them and their little ones There you have them Seeking the Lord and enquiring the way to Sion with their faces thitherward And when they came home you may hear some of their Nobles and Priests calling upon them to enter into Covenant so Shechoniah spake unto Ezra the Princes and the People Ezra 10.2 3. We have sinned against the Lord c. Yet now there is hope in Israel toucerning this thing Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God And so you may finde the Levites calling the people to confesse their sins with weeping and supplications in a day of humiliation and at the end of it to Write and Swear and Seal Nehe. 9.4 5. a Covenant with the Lord their God This was the first day wherein this Prophesie began to be fulfill'd in the very letter thereof The second day is the Evangelicall day 2 2 Day â—â—â—nge 〈◊〉 wherein this Promise is fulfilled in a 〈◊〉 or Spirituall sence Namely when the elect of God of what Nation or Language soever being all called the Israelâ—â— Gâ—â— Isal 44.5 as is Prophesied One shall say I am the Lorâ— is and 〈◊〉 shall call him 〈◊〉 by the name of Jacob c. and 〈…〉 by the Name of Israel I say when these in their severall Generations and successions shall turn to the Lord their God either from their Gentilisme and Pagâ—â—â— as in their first conversion to Christianity as 〈◊〉 oâ—serves after the Resurrection of Christ and Mission of the holy â—host A 〈…〉 exinde univerâ—â—s nationes ex veragâ—â—e 〈◊〉 humaniâ—â— gentâ—s ad Dominum Deum ad Dominum â—â—â—â—us câ—us From that day foreward you might behold poâ—r Creatures of all Nations and Languages creeping out of their dark holâ—â— and corners of blindnesse and Idolatry and betaking them to God and his Sâ—n Jesus Christ as to their Law-giver and Saviour or else turning from Antichristian superstition and false wayes of worship as in the after and more full conversion of Churches or Persons purging themselves more and more from the corruptions and mixtures of Popery and Superstitions according to the degree of light and conviction which should break out upon them and asking the way to Sion i. e. The pure way of Gospel Worship according to the fuller and cleerer Manifestations and Revelations of the minde of Christ in the Gospel This was fulfilled in Luthâ—â—s time and in all those after Separations which any of the Churches have made from Rome and from those Reliques and remains of Superstition and will-worship wherewith themselves and the Ordinances of Jesus Christ have been defiled The third day wherein this Prophesie or Promise is to be made good 3 3 Day Univerfall is that Vniversall day wherein both Jow and Gentile shall convert unto the Lord. That Day of the Restitution of all things as some good Devinâ—s conceive When ten men out 〈◊〉 all Lanâ—◠〈…〉 the Nations shall take hold of the skirt of him that is Jew saying 〈◊〉 will go with you for we have heard that God is with you Zâ—ch 8.23 And to what purpose is more fully exprest in the former Verses answering the Prophesie in the Text. Vers 20. Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts it shall yet come to passe that there shall come people and the Inhabitants of many Cities Vers 21. And the Inhabitants of one Citie shall go to another saying Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord and to seek the Lord of Hosts I will go also Vers 22. Yea many people and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and pray before the Lord. This I call the Vniversall day because as you see there shall be such an abundance of confluence of Citiâ—s and People and Nations combining together in an holy League and Covenant to seek the Lord. And a Perfect day because the minde and will of the Lord shall be fully revealed and manifested to the Saints concerning the way of Worship and Government in the Churches The New Jerusalem i. e. The perfect exact Ezek 43.11 12 13. Reve. 21.10 11. Isa 30.26 and punctuall Modell oâ— the Government of Christ in the Churches shall then be let â—own from Heaven The light of the Moon being then to be as the light of the Suâ— and 〈◊〉 light of the Sun sevenfold as the light of seven dayes in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and 〈…〉 of their wound By what hath been spoken you may perceive under which of these dayes we are Past indeed the first but not yet arrived at the third day and therefore under the second day that â—â—angelicall â—ay yet so as if all the three dayes were mâ—t together in ours while it seems to me that we are upon the dawâ—ing of the third day and this Prophesie falling so pat and full upon our times as if we were not got beyond the Literall a little variance will do it The children of Israel and the children of Judah Scotland and England newly coming out of Babylon Antichristian Babylâ—n Papall Tyranny and Vsurpations in one degree or other Going and weeping in the dayes of their solemn Humiliations bewailing their Back-slidings and Rebellions to seek the Lord their God to seek pardon and reconciliation to seek his face and favour not onely in the continuance but in the more full and sweet influentiall manifestations of his presence among them and to that end asking the way to Sion with their faces thitherward that is Enquiring after the pure way of Gospel worship with full purpose of heart that when God shall reveal his minde to them they will conforme themselves to his minde as according to that blessed Prophesie and Promise Isal 2.3 He will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths c. And that they may make all sure That they may secure God and themselves against all future
Apostacies and black-flidings calling one upon another and ecchoing back one to another Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that may not be forgotten You see by this time I have changed my Text though not my project to which purpose I shall remember that in the handling of these words I must not manage my discourse as if I were to make a new entire Sermon upon the Text but onely to improve the happy advantages it holds forth for the pursuite and driving on of my present Vse of Exhortation Come let us joyn c. To this end therefore from these words I will propound and endeavour to satisfie these three Quaeres 1. What 2. Why 3. How 1. What the duty is to which they mutually stirre up one another 2. Why or upon what considerations 3. How or in what manner this service is to be performed And in all these you shall see what proportion the Text holds with the Times The duty in our Text with the duty in our Hands pressing them on still in an Exhortatory way For the first sc What the duty is Answ You see that in the Text is to joyn themselves to the Lord by a solemn Covenant and so is that which we have now in our hands to joyn our selves to the Lord by a Covenant how farre they correspond will appear in the sequell This is the first and main End of a Covenant between God and his People as I have shewed you To joyn themselves to the Lord. The sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord Isa 56.6 c. And take held of his Covenant This I say is the first and main end of the Covenant in the Text The second is subordinate unto it namely to Enquire thâ— way to Sion i. e. To inquire the way and manner how God would be worshipt that they might dishâ—nour and prevoke him no more by their Idolatries and Superstitions which had been brought in upon the Ordinances of God by the means of Apostate Kings and Priests and Prophets as in Jeroboams and Ahabs reigns c. And for which they had been carryed into Captivity And such is the Covenant that lies before us in the first place as I say to joyn our selves to the Lord to be knit unsepaparably unto him that he may be our God and we may be his People And in the next place as subservient hereunto to ask the way to Sion to enquire and search by all holy means sanctified to that purpose what is that pure way of Gospel worship That we and ouâ— children after us may worship the God of spirits the â—â—od of truth in spirit and in truth in spirit Joh 4. â—3 opposed to carâ—all wâ—yâ—s of will-worship and inventions of men and in truth opposed to false hypocriticall shews and pretences since the Father seeks for such to worship him Now That this is the main scope and aym of this Covenant before us will appear if you read and ponder it with due considerations I will therefore read it to you distinctly this Evening besides the reading of it again to morrow when you come to take it and when I have read it I will answer the main and most materiall objections which seem to make it inconsistâ—nt with these blessed ends and purposes Attend diligently while I read it to you The Covenant WE Noblemen â—his Co 〈…〉 it 〈◊〉 haâ—d to câ—m 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 several pafaâ—â—s of the Câ—â—â—nant to which 〈…〉 Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and professors thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable state of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publike Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and Destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods People in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall indeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest Conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the middest of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the Extirpation of Poperty Prelacy that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse least we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III. We shall with the same sincerity reallity and constancy in our severall Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witnesse with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse IV. We shall
is between a King and a Begger and yet there is but creature and creature greater is that distance between Heaven and Earth and yet these but creature and creature and yet greater is the distance between an Angel and a Worm and yet still there is but creature and creature But now the distance that is between God and us is infinitely wider For behold There is the Mighty Almighty Creator Isai 40.15 Psa 62.9 Before whom all the Nations are but as a drop of a bucket and the small dust of the ballance and the poor nothing-creature vanity and altogether lighter then vanity And yet this is not all yea this is the shortest measure of that distance whereof we speak The distance of Creator and Creature loe it is found between God and the Angels in Heaven and the Spirits of just men made terfect in respect whereof the Psalmist saith of God Psa 113.6 He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in Heaven It is a condescention for that infinitely glorious Being who dwells in Himself and is a undantly satisfied in the beholding of his own uncomprehensiâ—le Excellencies to vouchsafe to look out of himself and behold the things that are in Heavâ—n the best of those glorious Inhabitants that stand round about his Throne Who therefore Revel 4.8.9 10 11. conscious of that infinite distance wherein they stand make their addresses with the greatest self abasements Covering their faces and casting themselves down upon those heavenly pavements But behold upon us poor wretches that dwell here below in these houses of Clay There is found that which widens this distance beyond all expression or apprehension Sin set us farther beneath a Worm then a Worm is â—eneath an Angel I had almost said bear with the expression I use it because no other expression can reach it Sin sets us as much beneath our Creatureship as our Creatureship sets us beneath the Creator Surely there is more of God to be seen in the worst of a Creature then there is of a Creature to be seen in the best of sin There is nothing vile and base enough under Heaven to make a simile of sin And now therefore if it be such a condescention for the great God to behold the things that are in Heaven how infinite condescention is it to behold the sinfull things that are on Earth And if sinlesse Saints and spotlesse Angels do tender their services which yet are as spotlesse as their persons with such Reverentiall depâ—rtment what abhorrency and self annihilation can be sufficient to accompany our approaches to this God of Holinesse in such high and holy engagements in whom when God looks out of himself he can behold nothing besides our Creatureship of our own but that which his soul hates Heb. 12.29 Let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably in this so excellent an Ordinance with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire The acceptable serving of God is with reverence and godly fear The Lord teach us to bring fear that so we may finde acceptation Again in the third place The third Qualification Sincerity To that end labour to approve your selves to God in this service in the uprightnesse and sincerity of your hearts The want of this God layes oft to the charge of the 〈◊〉 as in other duties so especially in this which is now before us They lied to him with their tongues For Psal 78.36 37. their heart was not 〈◊〉 with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant And this stood between them and their acceptance God tells the Prophet Ezekiel as much Son of man Ezek 14.3 these men have set up their Idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their 〈◊〉 before their face should I be inquired of at all by them They come with their hearts full of their Lusts so many Lusts so many Idols and for this God refuseth to be inquired of by them Should I be enquired of is as much as I will not be inquired of c. It is a denyall with disdain should I Or if they be so impudent to enquire he will not answer or if he give them an answer it shall be a cold one he will give them their answer at the door better none Vers 4. and 7. I will answer them according to the multitude of their Idols i. e. According to the merit of their Idolatry Calvin super hunc loâ—um Afferant materiam suae damnatioâ—is c. Psal 66.18 they bring the matter of their own damnation with them and they shall carry away nothing else from me but the answer or obsignation of that damnation Oh it is a dangerous thing to bring the love of any sin with us to the Ordinances of God If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer and so may we say to our own souls if I regard iniquity the Lord will not accept my person he will not regard my Covenant If God see any thing lie neerer our hearts then himself he will scorn us and our services If therefore you would be accepted out with your Idols Gen. 35.2 cast â—ut the love of sin out of your hearts and be upright with your God in this holy undertaking It is the main Qualification in the Text They shall enquire the way to Sion with their faces 〈…〉 i. e. In sincerity with uprightnesse of Spirit with the full set and bent of their souls As it is said of Christ when he went tâ— his Passion Luk 9.51 He stedfastly set his face to go up to Jerusalem He went with all his heart to be crucified with a strong 〈◊〉 spirit Beloved we are not going to crucifying work 〈◊〉 it be to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts but to â—â—arriage-work to joyn our selves to the Lord in an everlasting Covenant c. Let us do it with our faces Sion-ward yea let us stedfastly set our faces Reformation-ward and Heaven-ward and God-ward and Christ-ward with whom we enter Covenant this day A man may enquire the way to Sion with his face toward Babylon a people or person may enter Covenant with God with their hearts Rome-ward and Earth-ward and Sin-ward and Hell-ward Gen. 27 12. Friends look to your hearts Peradventure said Jacob my father will feel me and I shall seem to him as one that mâ—â—ks and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing Without all peradventure may we say Our father will feel us for he sâ—archeth all hearts and understandeth the imaginations of the thoughts If we be found as they that mock shewing much love with our mouthes while our hearts are far from him we shall bring a curse upon our selves yea and upon the Kingdoms also and not a blessing It is reported to the honour of Judah in the day of their Covenanting with their God 2 Chro. 15.55 They had sworn
with all their heart and with their whole desire And their successe was answerable to their sincerity For so it follows And the Lord was found of them and gave them rest round about Oh that this might be our honour and happinesse in this day of our lifting up our hands to the most high God that God might not see in us a double heart an heart and an heart as the Hebrew expresseth it i. e. One heart for God and another for our Idols one heart for Christ and another for Antichrist c. But he might see us a single-upright-hearted people without base mixtures and composition for he loves truth i. e. sincerity in the inward parts that he finding such sincerity as he looks for we also might finde such successe as we look for Safety and deliverance to both the Nations yea That both in respect of our sincerity and successe that might be made good upon us that is spoken to the eternall honour of that good King Hezekiah 2 Chron. 31. last And in every work he began in the service of the house of God and in the Law and in the Commandments to seek his God He did it with all his heart and prospered Vniversall sincerity is accompanied with universall prosperity in all he did he was upright and in all he did he prospered Brethren what ever you want be sure you want not sincerity let God see you fully set in your hearts to take all from sin and to give all to Jesus Christ Me thinks I hear God saying unto us According to your uprightnesse so be it unto you In the fourth place The fourth Qualification of direction make God our End Hos 7.14 Zech 7.5 If you would be accepted by God in this holy service labour to make God your End It is your pattern in the Text They shall go and seek the Lord It was not now Howling upon their beds for Corne and Wine as formerly of which God sayes They cryed not unto me i. e. They did not make God the End of their Prayers as elsewhere God tells them When yee fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh moneth even those seventy yeers did ye fast to me even unto me In seventy yeers they kept seven score fasts in Babylon and yet amongst them all they kept not one day unto God for though the duty lookt upon God they that did the duty did not look upon God that is they did not set up God as their chief End in Fasting and Praying They mourned not so much for their sin as for their Captivity or if for their sin they mourned for it not so much as Gods dishonour as the cause of their Captivity they were not troubled so much that they had by their sins walkt contrary to God Levit. 26.40 as that God by his judgements had walked contrary to them They fasted and prayed rather to get off their chains then to get off their sins to get rid of the bondage of the Babylonians then to get rid of the servitude of their own base Lusts But now blessed be God it was otherwise The children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together To what end They shall seek the Lord i. e. They shall seek God for himself and not onely for themselves going and weeping why Not so much that he hath offended them as that they have offended him for their sins more then for their punishments so it is more distinctly reported Jere. 3.21 A voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the children of Israel because they have perverted their way and have forsaken the Lord their God They had forgotten God before not onely in their sins but in their duties They cryed not to me they fasted not to me not at all unto me c. But now they remember the Lord their God they seek his face they labour to attone him yea they seek him to be their Lord as well as their Saviour to govern them as well as to deliver them they ask the way to Sion they require as well and more how they should serve him as that he should faâ—e them Thâ— Lord is our Judge 〈◊〉 33.22 the Lord is our Lawgiver the Lord is our 〈…〉 will save us Beloved Christians let us write after this Copy and in this great businesse we have in hand let us seek God and seek 〈◊〉 as a 〈…〉 in of holinesse as well as a fountain of happy 〈◊〉 Taâ—e we heed of those base low dunghilly ends which prevail dâ—pâ—â—th 〈…〉 to enter into Covenant with the God of the Hebrews Shall not their Cattle and substance be 〈◊〉 Lâ—t thâ— two Nations and every soul in both the Nations that 〈…〉 hand to the most high God in this holy League and Covenant take heed of and abhorre such unworthy thoughts if they should be crowding in upon this service and â—ay unto them as onâ—e Christ to Peter Get thee behinde me Satan that 〈◊〉 not of the things that be of God but of the things that be of mâ—n You may remember how it fared with Hamor and his son Sechâ—m and their people to whom they propounded these â—ase ends God did not onely disappoint them of their â—â—ds but dâ—stroy them for them Their ayms were to get the Hebrews substance and cattle but they lost their own with their lives to boot Gen. 34 2â— 27 28 29. For it came to passe on the third day when they wâ—re â—orâ— two of the sons of Jacob Simeon and Levi came upon the Citie â—oldly and slew all the males c. And the sons of Jacob 〈◊〉 upon the slain and spoilâ—d the Citie they took their Sheep and their Oxen and all their Wealth A most horrid and bloody Gen. 4â— 5 6 7 treachery and cruelty in them which stands as a Brand of infamy upon their foreheads to this day but a most just and righteous censure from God and a caution to all succeeding generations of prostituting heavenly and holy Ordinances to earthly and sensuall ends Oh let it be our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come to the end that we may not tempt God 1 Cor 10. as they also tempted for if God so much abhorred and so severely punisht these worldly respects in the men of the world if God was so angry with poor purblind Hâ—â—then who had no other light for their guide but the glimmering light of Nature how will his anger not onely kindlâ— but flame in the avenging of such basenesse upon Christians a people of his own who have the glorious light of the Gospel of 〈◊〉 Christ to discover to them higher and heavenlier Ends and References so that such a Kingdom People or Person thâ—t should date to bring such base carnall Ends to so spirituall and divine a contract should be made a Monument of the wrath and vengeance of divine Justice and while they propound to themselves safety or riches or
greatnesse from such an excellent Ordinance God makes it by a strange but a righteous hand an occasion of misery and ruine to them and their posterity to many generations Christians labour to set up God in this day and duty wherein you engage your selves so nigh unto him and if you would have heavenly blessings see that you propound and pursuâ— heavenly Ends and Ayms Lest while you come to make a Covenant with God you commit Idolatry against him whatsoever we make our ultimate and highest end we make our God If therefore you cannot make God your sole your onely End yet be sure you make him your choicest your chiefest End keep God in his own place and let all self-respects whatsoever vail to his Glory according to that great Rule 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether you eat or drink or what ever you do do all to the glory of God Fifthly To do this businesse to Acceptation Fifthly with cheerfulnesse 2 Cor. 9.7 we must do it cheerfully as God loves a cheerfull giver so he loves a cheerfull hearer a cheerfull Petitioner and a cheerfull Covenanter and you have it in the Text to Come let us There is their readinesse and cheerfulnesse to the work as it was that for which the Apostle doth commend his Maâ—â—donians in another service This they did not as we hoped 2 Cor 8.5 but first gave themselves to the Lord So these they give themselves to God of their own accord Come let us Oh that the Ministers of the Gospel might have occasion to make the same boast of you concerning this solemn Ordinance before you that they might say and rejoyce that you were a people that gave your selves to the Lord and unto the work of Reformation not by a Parliamentary fear or by our Ministeriall compulsions but above our hopes and beyond our expectations of your own accord See what a wonder not onely of cheerfulnesse but of joy and triumph is recorded of the Jews in King Asas time in their taking of the Covenant They sware unto the Lord with a loud voice 2 Chro. 25.14 and with shouting and with Trumpets and with Cornets And all Judah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their hearts c. There was indeed a severe mulâ—t a capitall censure inacted against those that should refuse and reject this Ordinance They should be put to death Vers 13. whether great or small whether man or woman A very grievous censure but it seems there was neither need nor use of it For all Judah rejoyced at the Oath The people lookt upon this service not as their pressure but as their priviledge and therefore came to it not with contentednesse onely but an holy triumph and so saved the Mastigrate and themselves the labour and charges of executing that sentence on Delinquents Oh that this may be your wisedom and honour That what ever penalty the Honourable Parliaments of either Nation shall in their wisedom think fit to proportion to the grievous sin of rebelling against this Covenant of the Lord. And it seems by the instance before That whatsoever penalty they shall ordain lesse then death will not be justice onely but Moderation I say whatever it shall be it may be rendered uselesse and invalid by the forwardnesse and rejoycings of an obedient people That all England as well as Scotland would rejoyce at the Oath and swear with all their hearts c. For certainly it will not be so much our duty as our Prerogative as I have shewed you before to enter into Covenant with God and his people It is the day of Gods power Psal 120.3 the Lord make you a willing people And as a testimony of this willingnesse and joy imitate the people here in the Text and stirre up one another and provoke one another to this holy service Let us joyn our selves to the Lord c. They expresse their charitie as well as their joy They would not go to Sion alone They call as many as they meet with them Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord. Oh that this might be your temper It is the very Character of the Evangelicall Church both as Isaiah and Micah have described it Their words be the same Many people shall go and say Come yee Isai 2.3 Micah 4.2 and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord. Oh that while Nentralls and Malignants do discourage one another and set off one another and embitter one anothers spirits God and his Ministers might finde you encouraging each other and provoking one another and labouring to oyl one anothers spirits to this as other Gospel dutie and prerogative God could not chuse but be much pleased with such a sight I might have made this a distinct Qualification but for brevity sake I couch it under this head I come to the last If you would be Accepted Sixth and last Qualification Faith in reference Bring faith with you to this service And that in a fourfold Reference To God To The Ordinance To Our selves To Jesus Christ First In reference unto God For 1. To God Heb. 11.6 He that will come to God in any Ordinance must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him There is nothing God takes better at his peoples hand then when they come with their hearts as full of good thoughts of God as ever they can hold such as Loe this is our God we have waited for him Isai 25.9 and he will save us we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation He will save we will be glad i. e. God will undoubtedly give us occasion of gladnesse and triumph in his praises Oh sweet and blessed confidence of divine goodnesse How well doth this become the children of such a Father who hath stiled himself the Father of mercies Good thoughts of God do mightily please and even engage God to shew mercy to his people Heb. 4.15 Let us therefore come with boldnesse to the throne of grace even in this Ordinance also That we may obtain mercy and finde grace to help us in this time of our need Secondly 2 2. To the Ordinance Let us bring faith in reference to the Duty As we are to believe well of God so we are to beleeve well of the Duty that it is an Ordinance wherein God will be sanctified and 〈◊〉 of them that seek him It is not enough that we seek him in his Ordinance but that we beleeve it to be his Ordinance 〈…〉 faith Rom. 14.12 is sin he speaks not of a faith that doth justifie the person but of a faith that doth justifie the performance that is a 〈…〉 that the work whatsoever it is is such as the word will bear me out in it such as God himself doth approvâ— To do doubtfully is to do sinfully an 〈…〉 God 3 3. In reference 〈◊〉 Ives Thirdly Bring 〈◊〉
be an innocent and warrantable Spell to render the Witchery of the Flesh World and Divel fruitlesse and in effectuall upon our spirits while the soul may say with David Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praise unto thee Ps 56.12 But fifthly Consider often and seriously Fifth means Prayer 1 Pet 1.5 who it is that must uphold your Resolutions even he that upholds Heaven and Earth no lesse power will do it For you are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation It is God that first gives the resolution and then must uphold and bring it into act It is God that worketh in you Phi. 2.13 both to will and to do of his good pleasure and therefore labour I beseech you to do these two things First Put all your resolutions into the hands of prayer 1 1. Praâ— David was a man of an excellent spirit full of holy Resolves I will walk in mine integrity Psal 26.11 Psal 119.8 â—sal â—4 Psal 139.21 22. And I will keep thy Testimonies And again I have sworn and will performe it That I will keep thy righteous judgements And yet again Do I not hate them Lord that hate thee c. I hate them with a perfect hâ—treâ— c. A thousand such sweet resolutions doth that precious servâ—nt of God breath out all along the Psalms and yet so jealous 〈…〉 man is of himself That he never trusts himself with 〈…〉 resolutions and therefore shall you finde him alwayes clâ—ppâ—ng a Petition upon a resolution as in the quoted places I will walk in mine integrity Redeem me and be mercifull unto me I will keep thy Testimoniâ—s Oh forsake me not utterly q. d. Thou 〈…〉 me fall fearfully suffer me not to fall finally And so when he had said I have sworn and will not repent c. Ver. 107. He presently adds within a word or two Quicken me O Lord 〈…〉 to thy word And again Accept I beseech thee of the 〈…〉 rings of my mouth Ver. 108. O Lord and teach me thy judgements God must teach him as to makâ— so to make good the 〈◊〉 will offerings of his mouth i. e. His promises and â—owâ— And so when he had made that appeal to God Do I not hate them that hate thâ—e Lord c. Vt sup He presently betakes himself to his Prayers Search me O God and know my heart try mâ— Psal 129 23 24 and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in 〈◊〉 and lead me in the way everlasting Mark I pray Search me try me know my heart know my thoughts see whether thâ—re be any wicked way lead mâ— c. He will neither trust himself for what heâ—ts nor for what he shall be Try me he dares not trust his own tryall Lead me he dares not trust his own Resolutions Sâ—ch a sweet holy jealousie of himself 〈◊〉 he creath forth with all his heavenly purposes and resâ—lations Oh 〈…〉 you that would make an Everlasting Covenant with 〈…〉 holy David upon every holy Resolution clap an 〈…〉 say I will reform my life Oh redeem me and 〈…〉 I will set up Christ in my heart I will labour 〈…〉 him in my life Oh forsake mâ— not utterly Lord 〈…〉 and am utterly purposed in all 〈…〉 to amend my life and to go before 〈…〉 c. O Lord teach me 〈…〉 O Lord according to thy Word 〈…〉 are upon me That I will according to my place and 〈…〉 to preserve Reformation in Scotland to procure 〈…〉 England That I will in like manner endeavour 〈…〉 Popery and Prelacy c. To preserve the Rights 〈…〉 Parliaments c. Discover Incendiaries En 〈…〉 between the two Kingdoms 〈…〉 that enter into this League and Covenant That I will never make defection to the contrary part or to give my self to a detestable indifferency or neutrality c. And this Covenant I have made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as I shall answer at that great day c. But now adde with David Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me and lead me in the way everlasting In a word put your Covenant into frequently renewed Resolutions Resolutions into Prayer and Prayer and all into the hands of God It is God that must gird thee with strength to perform all thy vows This the close of this blessed Covenant into which we enter this day doth teach us Humblie beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his spirit for this end and to blesse our desires and proceedings c. And the Covenant in the Text was surely inlaid with Prayer while they engage themselves to seek the Lord sc Not onely to shew them the way to Sion but to give them strength to walk in that way Let it be your wisedome and piety my Brethren to imitate both Oh pray and be much in Prayer and be often in prayer pray daily over the Covenant as you this day lift up your hands to swear to the most high God in this Covenant so lift up your hands every day to pray to that God for grace to keep this Covenant Let sence of self-insufficiency keep open the sluce of Prayer That that may let fresh streams of strength every day into your souls to make good your vows when you be carelesse to pray over the Covenant you will be carelesse to keep the Covenant when you cease to pray you will cease to pay If you will be watchfull in praying over your vows Prayer will make you watchfull in paying your vows If you will be faithfull in crying to God God will be faithfull in hearing and hâ—lping Psal 50.15 Pray therefore pray over every good purpose and resolution of heart towards the Covenant of God which conscience shall suggest or the Spirit of God shall breath into your bosoms at this present or any time hereafter as David once prayed over that good fram of Spirit which he observed in his people what time they off red so willingly and liberally to the preparing for the House of God 2 Chr 29 â—â— Oh God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob 〈◊〉 Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of my heart and prepare my heart unto thee To every command God is pleased to adde a promise so that what is a command in one place is a promise in another Ex. gr Circumâ—â—◠〈…〉 sores hinâ— your heart Deut. 10 1◠〈…〉 it is a command in Deut. 1â— 16 But in the 30. Chapter vers 6. There it is a promise 〈…〉 God will 〈…〉 thine heart and the heart of thy 〈…〉 Lord. Again makâ— you a new heart so saith the word of command A 〈…〉 will I give you so speaks the Word of Promise Ch. 36.26 Once more Little children abide in him thâ—â— is the command 1 Joh.
that the work shall go on and prosper yea prosper gloriously it having a stronger foundation to support it then Heaven and Earth for they are upheld but by a word of power but this work which is called Hob. 3 1. the New-Heavens and the New-Earth is uphold by a word of promise For We according to his promise look for New-Heavens 2 Pet. 3.15 and a New-Earth wherein dwels righteousnesse I say by a word of prophesie and promise which it seems is stronger then God himself for his word binds him so that he can as soon deny himself as deny his promise There shall be therefore an undoubted accomplishment of these things which are told us from the Lord Luk. 1.45 God will finde or make a people who shall worship him in this holy Ordinance and upon whom he will make good all the mercy and trueth all the peace and salvation which is bound up in it Onely therefore let me Caution and beseech you not to be wanting to your selves and your own happinesse * Acts 13. Judge not your selves unworthy of such a priviledge nor * Luke 7 3â— reject the Counsell of God against your own souls sin not against your own mercies by withdrawing your selves from this service or rebelling against it God will exclude none that do not exclude themselves Yea further This seems to speak an Argument of Hope That the calling of the Jews and the fulnesse of the Gentiles is not farre behinde in as much as God begins now to poure out this promise in the Text upon the Churches in a more eminent manner then ever we or our fathers saw it in a Gospel sence And surely Gospel performance must make way for that full and universall accomplishment thereof which shall unite Israel and Judah Jew and Gentile in one perpetuall Covenant unto the Lord that shall never be forgotten The Gospel Day is nothing else but the dawning of that great universall Day in the Text wherein God will make one glorious Church of Jew and Gentile The Day-starre whereof is now risen in our Horizon So that I am humbly confident That the same shores shall not bound this Covenant which bound the two now-Covenanting Nations but as it is said of the Gospel so it will be verified of this Gospel Covenant The sound thereof will go into all the Earth Rom. 10.18 and the words of it to the ends of the world There is a spirit of Prophesie that doth animate this Covenant Psal 14.15 which will make it swift and active swift to run His word runs very swiftly and active to work deliverance and safety not onely to these two Kingdoms but to all other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoak of Antichristian Tyranny whom God shall perswade to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant So that me thinks all that travell with the Psalmists desire of seeing the good of Gods chosen Psal 106.5 and rejoycing in the gladnesse of his nation and glorying with his Inheritance Will certainly rejoyce in this day and in the goodnesse of GOD which hath crowned it with the accomplishment of such a pretious promise as hear lies before us While none can withdraw from muchlesse oppose this service but such as bear evill will to Sion and would be unwilling to see the ruine and downfall of Antichrist which this blessed Covenant doth so evidently threaten Fourthly Fourth Motivâ— The example of the Churches of God and This hath been the practice of all the Churches of God before and since Christ after their Apostacies and Captivities for those Apostacies and recoveries out of these Captivities The first thing they did was to cement themselves to God by a more close entire and solemn Covenant then ever Nehemiah Ezra Hezckiah Jeremiah Josiah will all bring in clâ—er evidences to witnesse this practice This latter Churches have learned of them Germany France Scotland c. But what shall I need to mention the Churches when as the God of the Churches took this course himself who when he pleases to become the God of any people or person it is by Covenant as with Abraham Gen 17.2 Behold I make a Covenant with thee and what ever mercies he bestows upon them it is by Covenant all the blessings of Gods people are Covenant-blessings to wicked men God gives with his left hand out of the Basket of common providence but to his Saints he dispenceth with his right hand out of the Ark of the Covenant Isa 55.3 I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Yea which is yet more to our purpose When the first Covenant proved not but miscarried not by any fault that was in the Covenant-Maker no nor simply in the Covenant it self Of the God of the Churches for if man could have kept it it would have given him life I say when it was broken God makes a new Covenant with his People Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers which my Covenant they brake c. Jer. 31.31 Heb. 8 8. But this shall be the Covenant c. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People c. Because they could not keep the first Covenant God made a second that should keep them Oh that while we are making a Covenant with our God he would please to make such a Covenant with us so would it be indeed a perpetuall Covenant that should not be forgotten Well you see we have a Covenanting God a Covenant Making God and a Covenant renewing God be we followers of God as dear children Let us be a Covenanting people a Covenant making a Covenant renewing people and as our God finding sault with the first Heb. 8.8 Let us make a new Covenant â—â—â—n a perpetuall Covenant that shall never be forgotten A fifth Motive to quicken us to this duty Fâ—th Moâ—â— The practiâ—â—â—f the Pope and Preletes may be even the practice of the Antichristian State and Kingdom Popery hath been dexterous to propagate and spread it self by this means What else have been all their Fraternities and Brother-hoods and Societies but so many Associations and combinations politique compacted and obliged by Oaths and Covenants for the advancing of the Catholike Cause whereby Nations and Kingdoms have been subdued to the obedience of the Roman Miter And Prelacy that Whâ—lp hath learned this polisieof its mother Papacy that Lionesse to corroborate and raise it self to that height we have seen and suffered by these Artifices while by close Combinations among themselves and swearing to their oâ—edience all the Inferiour Priesthood and Church Officers by Ordination-Engagements and Oaths of Canonicall Obedience c. A few have been able to impose their own Laws and Canons upon an whole Kingdom yea upon three Kingdoms it being an inconsiderable company either
of Ministers or People the Lord be mercifull to us in this thing that have had eyes to discover the Mystery of iniquity which these men have driven and much more inconsiderable that have had hearts to oppose and withstand their Tyranny and Usurpations And why may not God make use of the same stratagem to ruine their Kingdom which they used to build it yea God hath seemed to do it already wâ—â—le in that place where they cast that râ—â—ring Canon and formed their cursed Oath for the establishing their 〈…〉 with its endlesse c. to perpetuits In the * â—â—ing Henry 7 Chappel very 〈◊〉 place hath this Covenant been debated and voted once and a second time by command of publique Authoritie for the Extirpation of it Root and Branch and the casting of it out for ever as a plant which our heavenly Father hath not planted And who knows but this may be the Arrow of the Lords deliverance which as it hath peire't to the very heart of Prelacy so it may also give a mortall wound to Papacy it self of which it will never be healed by the whole Colledge of Physitians the Jesuites whose study the Complexion and health of that Babylonian Harlot In the sixth and last place Sixth Motive The blessed successe of this Ordinance in other Churches The good successe this course hath found in the Churches may encourage us with much cheerfulnesse and confidence to undertake this service It hath upon it a probatum est from all that ever conscientiously and religiously used this remedy It recovered the State and Church of the Jews again and again many a time when it was ready to give up the ghost it recovered and kept a good correspondency between God and them all the time it was of any esteem and credit amongst them It brings Letters of Testimoniall with it from all the Reformed Churches Especially from our neighbour Nation and Church of Scotland where it hath done wonders in recovering that people when all the Physitians in Christendom had given them over It is very remarkable in the 20. Ezek. 37. God promiseth to bring them into the Bond of the Covenant and in the next Verse it follows and I will purge out the Rebels from among you there is an And that couples this Duty and this Mercy together I will bring you into the bond c. And I will purge out c. Truly God hath made good this promise to our Neighbors The Waters of this Covenant have been a notable Purgation to the Rebels there It hath been a Shibboleth to discover them and a Sword in the hand of the Angel of the Covenant to chase or slay them The mighty Armies of Malignants whether inbread or forraign though more in number and greater in power have not been able to stand before it from the first day till now The Walls of Jericho have faln flat before it The Dagon of the Bishops Service-Book brake its neck before this Arke of the Covenant Prâ—lacy and Prerogative have bowed down and given up the ghost at its feet And what changes hath it wrought in the Church and State What a Reformation hath followed at the heels of this glorious Ordinance And truely even among us as poorly and lamely and brokenly as it hath been managed among us I may say thus of it It hath kept life and soul together I am confident we had given up the ghost before this time had it not been for this Water of Life Oh what glorious successe might we expect if we did make such cheerfull such holy such conscientious addresses as becomes the Law of so solemn an Ordinance Truely could I see such a willing people in this day of Gods Power as are here in the Text encouraging and engaging one another in an holy Conspiracy Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant c. I have faith enough to promise and prophesie to you in the Name of the Lord and in the words of his servant Haggai Haggâ—i 2.18 19. From this very day I will blesse you And that you may know of what Soveraignty this Ordinance is Take notice of this for the close of this last Motive and this second Quaere That this is the last Physick that ever the Church shall take or need it lies cleer in the Text For it is an everlasting Covenant And therefore the last that ever shall be made after the full and finall accomplishment of this promise and duty the Church shall be of so excellent a complexion Isai 33. last That the Inhabitant shall not say I am sick The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their inquitie The Lord make it such Physick to us for Christ his sake And this shall suffice c. The Third Sermon on the Sabbath-day in the Morning being the first of October Immediately before takingof the COVENANT in Milk-street Church I Come now to the third Quaere How Third Quaere How And this inquiry divides it self into two Branches sc How to Acceptation Perpetuitie For the satisfying of both which I will fetcht as much as may be out of the Text That so you may yet further behold what proportion there is between the duty there and that which lies before us this day Answ In the first place First in generall With an Ordinance frame of heart we must enquire how this duty may be so managed that God may accept of us in the doing of it How to Acceptation Now in the Generall we must know that this service being an Ordinance of God it must be undertaken and managed with an Ordinance of frame heart i. e. According to the Laws and Rule of â—ivine worship and by how much the more sacred and solemn this Ordinance is by so much the more ought we to call up and provoke the choicest and heavenliest of those affections and dispositions of spirit wherewith we make our addressements to the Holy things of God In speciall In particular these First â—â—â—st in Judgement Jere 4.2 we are to come upon this service with the most ponderous advisednesse and most serious deliberation of Judgement That may be It is one of those grand Qualifications which God himself calls for to an Oathâ— Thou shalt swear in Truth in Judgement and in Righteousnesse In Truth for the matter and that we have already examined in the former Sermon In Righteousnesse in reference to the keeping of the Oath of which hereafter and in Judgement in respect of the taking or making of the Oath the thing which we are now about that we should well consider what we do And indeed if at any time and in any undertaking that advise be usefull Prov 4.26 Eccl 5.1 Ponder the path of thy feet and keep thy foot when thou entrest into the house of God then certainly it is most seasonable when a people or a person draw neer to make or renew their Covenant with the most High