years before the earthquake This was at the time wherein Vzziah being lifted up with his many successes under pretence of extraordinary devotion for many victories obtained against the enemies of Judah would needs go in person into the Temple and burne incense The Priests withstood him as attempting that which was lawfull for none but the sonnes of Aaron only He grew wroth with them Whereupon saith Iosephus e Antiq. li. â— ca 11. God smote the place with an earthquake and him by a beam of the Sunne through a crevisse of the Temple on his mouth which brake forth instantly into a lothsome leprosie for which he was not only thrust out of the Temple by the Priests but himselfe also hasted to go out and was put from his Government to the day of his death 2 Chron. 26. The earthquake which then happened shook all Ierusalem and was very dreadfull For thereby a great part of a mountain on the west of Ierusalem in a place called Eroge was torne off from the residue and removed four furlongs out of it own place and cast partly into the high way and partly into the Kings gardens saith Iosephus This so astonished and affrighted the people that they fled from it with exceeding great fear so as this accident became extraordinary famous in all Iudah and Israel Of this mention is made in Zech. 14.5 where God threatning a sore judgement to the enemies of Christ tels them yee shall flee like as yee fled from before the earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah King of Iudah This happened in the 27th of Vzziah as is agreed by almost all Chronologers who with one consent tell us that it fell out at the same time that Vzziah was smitten with that lothsome Elephantiasis Iunius indeed dissents but his reason is easily answered For albeit Vzziahs leprosie was very remarkable yet an earthquake in Israel was more rare and accounted more prodigious Lepers were common but earthquakes never happened but upon some extraordinary occasion which concerned the generall Amos began his Prophecies two years before that Prodigie which must needs be near the end of the reign of Ieroboam the second the sonne of Ioash of the line of Iehu For Ieroboam began his reign in the 15th year of Amaziah f 2 King 14.23 father to Vzziah who lived 14 years after Ieroboam began g Ibid. ver 2. And so it must be about the 39th of Ieroboam when the word of the Lord came first to Amos. This exact calculation of time is here of great use for it lets us in to a clear knowledge of the state and condition of Israel at that time when Amos uttered these words It was when Israel who had been often sorely plagued with forreign and intestine judgements were now through Gods melting compassions towards them for the Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Iacob much eased and freed of many pressures their evil neighbours who had invaded them and encroached upon them being vanquished and dispossessed of what they had usurped and all by the valour and industry of this Ieroboam whom God made a great instrument to save them as is evident 2 King 14. At this very season they not improving the mercy God sends Amos to prophesie destruction to the whole Kingdome and to utter these words now read unto you by way of appeal unto themselves to convince them of the impossibility of the continuance of that blessing while they stood off with so much pertinacie from the Lord. For if they should as like enough they would plead Can these things befall us Are not we Abrahams seed Hath not God struck a Covenant with us hath he not done many and great things for us Just as Iudah Jer. 3.4 5. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me My Father thou art the guide of my youth will he reserve his anger for ever To which God makes answer first by way of concession in the verse before my Text It is true You only have I known of all the families of the earth that is in respect of love care bounty and priviledges Secondly by way of Commination of the greater judgement as a just catastrophe of their ingratitude and rebellion Therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities And lest they should thinke this to be strange severity Thirdly He appeals to themselves making them the Judges in their own case whether it were possible to be otherwise saying Can two walke together except they be agreed Which interrogation comprehends in it a more vehement denial than a bare negative could expresse and must be resolved into this proposition Two cannot possibly walke together except they be agreed Your selves being judges For the better clearing of these words we must a little further inquire into the subject or Persons here spoken of and then into the Actions here predicated of them and by way of supposition attributed to them for the more full conviction of Israel 1. The subject is an aggregate made up of severall persons or parties here called Two Who these Two should be Expositors agree not Some understand it of God and the Prophet some of Iudah and Israel some of God and the Assyrian as agreeing to come up together to destroy Israel others of Salmanazer and Nebuchadnezzar agreeing to devour both Israel and Iudah But none of these expositions seeme so genuine and proper as that which tells us that the expression is Parabolicall and therefore must first be understood or supposed indefinitely of any Two that can be imagined to walke together for the Appeal lyes first in Thesi whether they think it possible to be true of any Two in the world not only men but birds beasts any thing This being first agreed upon they are then to consider of what Two in hypothesi he here spake this Parable and to whom God meant they should apply this Apologue in particular And that is to Himselfe and them For these two are more plainely declared before to be I and You. Ver. 2. that is the Lord who spake against them and the children of Israel against whom he spake Ver. 1. These are the two parties by them desired but by him denied to walke together they being not yet agreed as they ought 2. Let us also inquire into the Actions which here by way of supposition are attributed to these parties and they are two walking together and agreeing together this being the ground of the other 1. Walking together if we take it in thesi and in the first acception imports any sociable familiar friendly congresse or companying together either in a journey as those two Disciples going to Emaus Luk. 24.17 or in some short walke of pleasure or delight as David and Achitophel walking to the house of God in company Psal 55.14 Hence is it translated to signifie Gods walking with his people in a way of mercy which is here intended rather than walking of his people with him in a way of
THE NECESSITY OF Agreement with GOD OPENED IN A SERMON Preached to the Right Honourable the Noble House of PEERS assembled in PARLIAMENT Vpon the 29th of October 1645. being the Monethly Fast By C. BURGES D. D. Preacher of the Word to the City of London Published in Obedience to an Order of their Lordships LONDON Printed by G. Miller for Philemon Stephens at the Signe of the golden-Lion in Pauls Church-yard 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE HOVSE OF PEERS Assembled in PARLIAMENT Most Noble LORDS THE main designe of this plain Sermon is to awaken men not yet agreed with GOD out of their golden dreams of nothing but Halcyon dayes and mountains of perpetuall prosperity which the almost innumerable glorious Victories heaped on your Armies seem to promise To effect this I have endeavoured to put all upon the Triall of their Agreement with GOD which being the soul of my Text ought to be the chief subject of my Discourse I have therein insisted most upon the examining our performance of the Nationall Covenant which notwithstanding your pious command to whet the people upon it every Fast day is so much neglected yea despised that he is by some ranged among the dissolute that now will take it and it is made one character of the godly party which they who say stand apart appropriate to refuse it Uniformity which we have Covenanted to promote is become a scorne And they who being sensible of the mischiefs of no Government in the Church presse the setling of a Discipline according to our Covenant do every where hear Rigid Presbyterians Persecutours worse than Bishops and what not but what they are None know now how to Time things but they who while out the times to prevent the setling of any thing at all My Lords it is our happinesse and your honour that you have continued with Christ in his temptations and remained faithfull in the midst of a perfidious generation when the enemy had his hour For what Tiberius once spake to Nero and Drusus in the Senate Tacit. Annal. lib. 4. Ita nati estis ut bona maláque vestra ad Rempublicam pertineant may be much more said of you who are so borne for the Publike that you are engaged in honour to promote that what ever become of your selves There is no Publike act of yours if good but the whole Kingdom fares the better for it no evil that you commit but all the Nation suffers by it Be faithfull unto Christ who had never more need of your Zeal and let him alone with your safety and honour untill he give you a crown of life It is not enough that you act when acted unles you also quicken others to more expedition in that great busines of the Government of the Church It is not sufficient that your selves come up to an Agreement with God unlesse as Josiah you do your utmost with all vigour to draw others into the same also Nor will it suffice that you do good your selves if you wittingly suffer others to do evil against God and Christ without exercising that authority which God hath put into your hands against them You remember Galba who though innocent of much harm which passed under his name yet because he permitted them to commit it whom he ought to have bridled or was ignorant of that which he ought to have known lost reputation and opened a way to his own destruction The Lord of Lords guide quicken and prosper you in all the great affairs which are under your hands make you more and more zealous for Jesus Christ that he may yet further honour you above all your Noble Progenitours and give you hearts so to improve this homely piece that it may further your Account and not rise up in judgement against you in the great day of the Lord Jesus in whom I am and ever shall be Your Lordships most humble servant C. BURGES THE NECESSITY OF Agreement with GOD. AMOS 3.3 Can two walke together except they be agreed I May begin my Sermon with the words of Cyril a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyr. Alex in loc This is a deep Riddle and a darke speech For better unfolding of it be pleased to cast your eyes on the first verse of this Book which will afford some light to these words and to the whole Prophecie There you shall first meet a poor Herdsman of Tekoah a City of Judah six miles south from Jerusalem to wit our Prophet a man bred up among Cattle and a gatherer of sycomore-trees b Amos 7.14 15. suddenly * Amos ruborum mora distringens repentè Propheta effectus est Hieron ad Heliodor called of God as he followed the flock and sent unto Israel yea to prophesie even at Bethel the Kings Chappel and Court and there to denounce destruction to the King and Kingdome by the Assyrian as he after c Amos 7.9 10 11. did There also shall ye discover the People to and against whom he prophesied namely Israel not the whole progeny of Jacob but only the ten Tribes revolted from Rehoboam These being the major part of Israel carried with them that Name Sometimes they are called Ephraim from Jeroboam their first King who was of that Tribe as that party which adhered to the House of David was named Judah because that was the Family from whence sprang their Kings That these Prophecies were directed to these ten Tribes is further manifest by that of Amaziah the Chief Priest of Bethel Chap. 7.12 13. O thou Seer flee thee away into the Land of Judah and there eat bread and prophesie there but prophesie not again any more at Bethel c. which shews plainly that he prophesied only to Israel in that place where Jeroboam the first had erected one of his Calves There Amos for his boldnesse against the Calves received many affronts from Amaziah the Priest and at length a mortall blow with a Club on his head by Amaziahs sonne after which he was carried home to Tekoah where he soon died of that wound as we have it from Epiphanius d In vit Prophet and sundry others e Hieron Doroth. Isidor alijque In that first verse thirdly may you perceive the time when he prophesied It was in the dayes of Vzziah King of Judah and in the dayes of Jeroboam the sonne of Joash King of Israel two years before the earthquake a most remarkable circumstance The mention of those two Kings discovers Amos to have been contemporaneous with Hosea and Joel yea with Isaiah too whose Father he was not although some have so conjectured albeit he began somewhat after them and finished his course many years before them by means of that untimely death but now expressed These Kings reigned long Jeroboam 41 years Vzziah 56 years computing from the 16th year of his age only To the end therefore it might be more exactly known about what time of their severall reignes Amos prophesied it is said two
heavy message 1 Sam. 2.30 31. I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walke before me for ever but now the Lord saith Be it farre from me For them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Behold the dayes come that I will cut off thine arme and the arme of thy fathers house c. God first cut his family short and then after four generations took that Dignity of the High Priesthood from his house For after Ahijah Ahitub Ahimelech slain by Saul Å¿ 1 Sam. 23.16 c. and Abiathar t Ibid. ver 20. put from the Priesthood by Solomon that he might fullfill the word of the Lord which he spake concerning Elies house in Shiloh 1 King 2.27 the Chief Priesthood was taken from Ithamars line and restored to Eleazars family by Solomon who setled it on Zadok that descended from Eleazar u 1 Chro. 6.8 in whose race it continued not only untill the Maccabees but even to the last destruction of the Temple and City by the Romanes So severe is God towards those with whom he hath some time walked by eminent mercies conferred on them if care be not taken to agree with him as he requireth upon receit of those mercies How God walked with Saul our next instance appears in part by that of Samuel 1 Sam. 15.17 When thou wast little in thine own eyes wast thou not made Head of the Tribes of Israel And the Lord anointed thee King over Israel and that when he least expected it while he was seeking his fathers Asses But this high Honour not drawing his heart to agreement with God the Lord rejected him from being King ver 26. and repented that ever he had made him King ver 35. He had not reigned three years when this sentence passed against him and began to be executed on him in a terrible manner He held the Throne indeed 37 years after that doom pronounced for he reigned in all 40 years * Acts 13.22 but liv'd and died a most miserable forlorn wretch being forsaken of God haunted by an evil spirit macerated with envy and tearing himselfe with rage against David crossed and cursed in every thing he went about and at length when he saw three of his sonnes Jonathan Abinadab and Malchishua fall in one day at Gilboa by the sword of the Philistines he fell upon his own sword and became his own butcher 1 Sam. 31.4 His son Ishbosheth the only legitimate son that survived him did indeed by the aid of Abner mount the Throne and made a shift to keep it two years x 2 Sam. 2.10 But Abner upon a base quarrell revolting two of his Captains Baanah and Rechab murdered him upon his bed y 2 Sam. 4.7 carrying his head to David to purchase their peace After all this God sent a sore famine upon Israel three years together in the reign of David for Saul and his bloody house because he slew the Gibeonites z 2 Sam. 21. contrary to the Oath of Ioshuah a Josh 9.15 made to their Ancestours which famine could not be removed untill David had delivered seven of Sauls sonnes to the Gibeonites who hung them up all in one day before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul and so that plague stayed Thus we see how contrary God walked unto Saul both living and dead because Saul made no better use of Gods walking with him in advancing of him to so much honour Vzziah our last instance had great experience in the former part of his reign of Gods walking with him in a very gracious manner so long as Vzziah sought the Lord in the dayes of Zechariah the Priest For God made him to prosper and helped him against the Philistines Arabians and Mehunims the Ammonites and whom not So that his name became great and formidable over many Countries for he was marvellously helped untill he was strong 2 Chron. 26. But then instead of coming up to God fully his heart was lifted up unto his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple to burne incense Then God walked contrary to him with a witnesse He smote the Temple and City with a most dreadfull earthquake which so amazed and affrighted the whole City that they fled out of Ierusalem * Zech. 14.5 for fear of being destroyed by the fall of houses or opening of the earth And by this earthquake a part of the roof of the Temple was opened whereby a beam of the Sunne smote Vzziah on the mouth with a lothsome scabb that instantly brake out into a terrible Leprosie all his body over which could never be cured to the day of his death as was hinted before out of Iosephus 2. From Persons let us ascend to whole Nations and Kingdomes And first look upon Israel in Egypt How did the Lord redeem them thence and walked with them even thorow the red sea going before them in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night and bare them as a man bears his sonne in all the way that they went b Deut. â— 31 insomuch as within the space of a very few moneths he brought them to the very borders of Canaan even unto mount Hor Numb 20.23 But there instead of comming up to a perfect agreement with God who had shewed them such mercy they fell to murmuring wishing themselves in Egypt again or that they might die in the wildernesse rather then adventure to go up and possesse the Land which God had promised them because they had heard of the Anakims and other Giants there that would oppose and withstand them For this God instantly smote them with a very great mortality and doomed them to a fourty years pilgrimage in the wildernesse that all who had murmured against him might be cut off before he brought their children into Canaan Numb 14.13 When they saw their errour and smarted for it by the plague they who before would not go up when commanded would now needs adventure upon it when they were forbidden telling Moses Lo we be here and will go up to the place which the Lord hath promised ver 40. No saith Moses it is now too late the Lord will not go with you and the reason he gives them was this because ye have turned away from the Lord therefore the Lord will not be with you They who would not agree with God to go up when he bad them found him now to walke contrary to them when they were afterwards willing to go of their own heads for some of them who after Moses had forbidden them adventured presumptuously up into the hill but the Amorites which dwelt in that mountain came out against them and chased them as bees and destroyed them in Seir even unto Hormah Deut. 1.43 44. selfwild obedience is but transgression Afterwards when God was again pleased to walke further with Israel thorow the wildernesse see
all his party they heartily close with his children and servants where ever they meet them and are enemies to all that are enemies to God It is so in all firme Leagues and Feuds He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 And this Commandement have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also 1 Joh. 4.21 On the contrary If they meet with Gods enemies they dare make this appeal to God Psal 139.21 22. Do not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Trial. Now consider seriously how you stand affected to the faithfull servants of Jesus Christ Are you for them indeed are they in your hearts to live and die together do you countenance and encourage the faithfull Ministers of Christ Nay rather is not their fidelity to Christ interpreted pride and ambition after exorbitant power are not the godly your greatest eye-sores are they not looked upon as a company of silly ignorant rash peevish men because they will not bow or bend in matters of Religion to humane inventions of any Authority nor depart so much as an hairs bredth from their principles Or if they be sometimes made use of in case of necessity when things cannot be carried on without them are they not afterwards by some cast aside as people not owned or worthy of any respect especially if a new generation of projectors men that are more malleable and fit to be moulded to serve turnes arise and present new notions projects Or if we do make shew of some respect to this or that eminent man as Herod to the Baptist is it in truth of heart for the graces of God shining in them or rather to grace our selves by countenancing of them And how stand we affected to all wicked men are they not our chief at lest our ordinary companions Do we not set more by a scurrilous wit a Buffone then by an holy humble Christian whose speech may administer grace to the hearers Who are the most usuall companions of many that have given themselves out Reformed There is no surer triall of a mans inward temper of spirit then by choice of his company Jehoshaphat may in Courtship comply with Ahab but he shall surely smart for it shouldest thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord 2 Chron. 19.2 Let them look to it who do as he did that while they run such a course they may not foolishly dream that God and they are agreed for this bred a quarrell between God and Jehoshaphat although a godly Magistrate and eminent for holinesse of life Thus have I endeavoured to bring all to the Test whereupon I doubt it will appear that we are not the people we would be taken to be being yet very farre from that agreement with God which we stand in need of and rest upon as actually made up between him and us nor can promise to our selves that continuance of Gods walking with us which we do expect but have just cause to fear his sudden departure from us and the exposing of us and the Kingdom to much more wo and misery then ever we have yet felt or feared Vse 3 Wherefore suffer the word of Exhortation unto a two-fold duty 1. Be deeply humbled before the Lord this day for our want of agreement with him that hath done so many so great things for us for that great enmity and malignity that yet remaineth in us against the God of our mercies for our crosse affections and peevish passions whereby we are apt upon all occasions to fly out against him for all our carnall corrupt and base ends and designes which thwart and oppose the wise holy and good purposes and counsels of our God for our standing out and refusing to come into the bond of his Covenant or dealing unfaithfully in it for our want of Zeal for Christ in doing our utmost in our severall places and callings to promote the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland not only in Doctrine and Worship but in Discipline and Government according to our Covenant for our great lukewarmnesse in not endeavouring as we ought to extirpate superstition heresie schisme profanenesse and what ever is contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of godlinesse whereby we do in great part partake of other mens sinnes and bring our selves into apparent danger to receive of their plagues for want of that reality impartiality and constancy in preserving the Priviledges of Parliament and liberties of the Kingdome which we ought upon all occasions to expresse many growing weary of the Parliament and clamouring against it as one of our greatest grievances and abusing the Liberties of the Kingdome to all licentiousnesse and confusion for want of courage and faithfullnesse in the discovery of all Incendiaries Malignants and evil instruments that do palpably and openly hinder and oppose that Reformation of Religion which we have bound our selves by Covenant to promote or that secretly undermine and way-lay all endeavours of Peace between the King and his people or that labour to make division between the two Kingdoms or factions and parties among the people contrary to our Nationall League and Covenant for want of zeal in doing all we can according to our places and interests to maintain and preserve that blessed Peace so happily setled between England and Scotland that they might remain conjoyned in a firme League and union to all posterity and that justice may be done upon the wilfull opposers thereof for our great unwillingnesse constantly to assist and defend all those that in this common Cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdomes enter into the Nationall League and Covenant for our aptnesse to be withdrawn from that blessed Vnion and Conjunction to the other side or at lest to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in the Publike Cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and the honour of the King for our not humbling our selves even unto this day for our own sinnes and for the sinnes of all the three Kingdomes for undervaluing the Gospel for not receiving Christ into our hearts and walking worthy of him in our lives for want of a true and unfeigned purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publike and private in all duties we ow to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a reall Reformation that the Lord may turne away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in truth and peace Finally for want of that Christian and brotherly charity and unity that every where appears in many sad rents and dangerous divisions that daily in all places abound
threatning greater desolation then the sword of the enemy or any other judgement that is upon us You see what a long roll what a black catalogue may be brought in against us how many sins we have to spread before the Lord this day what great what scarlet sins we are guilty of who yet are apt to put farre away the evil day to grow confident that our danger is over that we shall never see that adversity which have come upon others in the Kingdome and that God is now so fast tied to us as never to depart from us nor to give over walking with us in all wayes of mercy and grace This day is set apart for solemne serious publike humiliation and Sermons upon this day are or should be so managed as to helpe us in this duty to set our sins before us with their severall aggravations that we might draw the more water of godly sorrow out of our rocky hearts and pour it out before the Lord as Israel at Mizpeh a 1 Sam. 7.6 O therefore be afflicted and mourn and weep rend your hearts put your mouths in the dust through shame and confusion of face and out of desire to be humbled to the utmost before the decree of Englands ruins bring forth desolation before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you before the day of the Lords anger come upon you b Zeph. 2.2 as the Prophet speaketh Take heed of turning these monethly humiliations into formalities lest we provoke God more by our hypocriticall mock-fasts then by any other our sins for which we pretend to be humbled on such daies as these Beware of that bull-rush humiliation which the Lord complains of Isa 58.8 Who derides not that ridiculous folly of Lewes the 11th who wore a Crucifix in his hat in testimony of great devotion and so often as he had sworn an Oath or committed other grosse offence he would take off his hat and kisse his crucifix thinking that a sufficient satisfaction for his fault and then go sin again as much as before But there is somewhat more to be done by those that would indeed make their peace and agreement with God Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34.31 32. 2. This leads me to the second branch of the Exhortation and which is the other main part of this dayes duty namely to labour before we depart this place to bring our hearts to come up to a full and perfect agreement with God This is one of the great errands of all the Ambassadours of Christ namely to pray all to whom they come in Christs stead as though God did beseech you by them to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 Let the power of the death of Christ be applyed by faith to eat out and kill that naturall malice and enmity that naturally rageth in every one of our bosomes against God Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evil concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry for which things sake the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience Col. 3.5 6. Bring your hearts to a perfect compliance with God in affections resolutions and in all your actions away with all self-love and self-ends Men of private designes will betray the Kingdome Religion and all the world if it were in their power if temptations and opportunities be offered rather then be frustrate of their own ends what ever shew of zeal for Christ and the Publike they pretend unto in the carrying on of the Publike Cause It was Calebs comfort happinesse and honour that in managing the publike service of Israel committed to him by Moses he followed God fully Numb 14.24 An excellent paterne for you that are the heads and guides of our Tribes who are now leading this poor sinfull Nation thorow a sharpe and tedious wildernesse where we are to march thorow rivers of blood towards a firme and well grounded Peace and perfect Reformation If any of you have private ends in this publike worke which God forbid we shall be bought and sold as sometimes Esther and her people were not only for bond-men and bond-women Esth 7.4 but to be destroyed to be slain and to perish Be sure of this nothing but a firme agreement with God and the power of godlinesse can keep any of you all firme and constant to the Cause of God and his people Achitophel was a man of as deep wisedome and as great a pretender to the interests and service of David and the Kingdom as is possible for any mortall to be towards any King or Kingdome in the world Yet when Absolom by wiles and promises of greater place and preferment set upon him he could not stand before such temptations Only an Hushai a faithfull plain publike-spirited man held it out and at length had the happinesse to overthrow the counsels of a farre deeper and subtle Counsellour then himselfe and thereby saved both a King and Kingdome It is the honest plain downright-hearted Counsellour that scornes all private ends out of supernaturall principles that shall carry it at the long runne and live to see all the Achitophels of the time sent to hell in a string or in some other dresse Renue Covenant with God this day and do it heartily it is a chief worke of the day If David and Jonathan thought it necessary to enter into Covenant a second time 1 Sam. 20.16 who had never violated their first agreement thinke it not superfluous but a matter of necessity to renue that Covenant which we have every day broken and that with a very high hand by walking contrary unto him for which he hath brought the sword upon us to avenge the quarrell of his Covenant d Lev. 26.24 25. But do it in sincerity for all haltings in a Covenant are the greatest provocations that men obnoxious to wrath can possibly commit that great sinne against the Holy Ghost only excepted Rest not here thinke it not enough to renue Covenant but minde it and keep it When thou vowest a vow unto God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles Eccles 5.4 Therefore God made a Law to binde men to performance even of voluntary vows to which they were no way tyed but by their own voluntary choice Deut. 23.21 22. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slack to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sinne unto thee I beseech you therefore to consider all that you have Covenanted but especially in matters of Religion and Reformation And herein let your selves be first firme and unmoveable in such Truths as all the people of God have unanimously imbraced as being undoubtedly founded on the word of God Shift