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
evasions and limitations and reservations such a Jesuiticall spirit is got in among us by which means it comes to passe that by that time men have pared off and left one and put what interpretations they frame to themselves there is little left worth the name of a Covenant 3. In the third place How many prophane this Ordinance by setting up base and earthly and carnall ends and aymes to themselves How many come to this Ordinance with Shechemitish spirits Shall not their Cattle and their substance and every Beast of theirs be ours If I take it not saith the Malignant Citizen I shall have my Wares plundered If I take it not faith the Malignant Gentleman I shall have my Estate seized If I take it not saith the Malignant Parson I shall have my Living sequestred and my person it may be cast into Limbo Patrum c. To such base and dunghill respects do men of vile spirits prostitute this pure and heavenly Ordinance 4. But lastly Have we not all conspired together as it were Unsaithfulnesse in keeping Covenant from the highest to the lowest from the greatest to the least to break the Covenant of our God How may God and his Ministers renew all those complaints over England that were formerly poured out over Israâ—l Psal 78.10 They have forsaken thy Covenant Vers 37. They kept not the Covenant of their God they were not steafast in his Covenant Vers 57. They turned back and dealt unfaithfully they were turned aside like a deceitfull bow Alas what have we done with all the Covenants we have made with God Our Baptismall Vows renewed perhaps Monâ—thly at the Lords Table our sick Beds engagements Parliament Pretistations and Covenants with those often Monethly Wâ—ckly almost daily repititions of Covenants in the dayes of Humiliations and Thankesgivings what is become of them all Have we not dealt with them in some such like manner as Moses dealt with the two Tables who went up into the Mountain to receive them from God but as soon as he came down to the bottome threw them out of his hands and brake them So have we done for all the world we have gone up into the Mountain of the House of the Lord so is the place of publike worship called to make and renew our solemn Vows and Covenants Isai 2.3 which we have Sealed under an Oath and a Curse before and with the most high God but no sooner all most have we come down into the Valley of our ordinary walking and conversation but we have thrown them out of our hands and broken them all to peeces Vow Reformation to day and within a few dayes be drunk again and swear again and be unclean again and worldly and wantoâ— and seâ—ure again as toose vain unsavoury and unsensible of pul like sin and misery as ever Swear our Estates to day and perhaps deny at wentieth part of them to morrow Worth thousands and deny to lend an hundred a sâ—orâ— c. Swear to live and dye with the Parliament and the Caus to day and spâ—ak against both to morrow Swear to assist thâ—m to day against all Opposers and Malignants and it may be within a few dayes after assist Opposers and Malignants against them Help them off with their Taxations though never so indifferent and easie Couâ—â—y conc â—â—l their Goods and Treasurâ— though never so justly forfeited to the State Get their Mon yes Arms Horses Provisions restored though never so lawfully seized by sufficient Warrant and the industry and piety of faithfull Officers who venture their Estates their lives their All in the service Swear and unswear do and undo protest for Christ to day and accomodate for Antichrist to morrow and when told of it either they forgot or which I tremble to think of and blush to mention some and these no small ones put in minde upon such occasions of their Protestations and their Covenant have not feared to reply Alas That was broken long since As if breach of our Covenant did dissolve our engagements and because we have broke once with God we were never bound afterward to keep our word our Oaths Surely That were an easie way of getting loose But this God hath seen and heard among us and me thinks I heat that angry question sounding in mine ears Ezek. 17.15 Shall he prosper Shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered And if the quarrell were so high and God so angry for the breach of the Covenant that was but between man and man yea between a people in externall Covenant with himself and a professed enemy a Tyrant an Vsurper what may such a People for whom God hath done and is doing such great things expect upon Covenants so religiously and solemnly made and sworn not onely before but with so holy God and so ofter and so treacherously yea so desperately abused and trampled under feet I may say unto you therefore as sometime good Josiah did to his Servants 2 Chro. 34.21 Go enquire of the Lord for us Humiliation for this sin and for the remnant that are left in Israel and in Judah for great is the wrath of the Lord that is powred out upon us because we have not kept the word and Oath which we have uttered to the Lord our God It is without all question the Quarrell of the Covenant which the Sword is this day a venging upon England with so much wrath and fury powred out Woe unto us out God is grievously angry what shall we do When David saw the Angel of the Lord standing between the Heaven and Earth Chro. 21.16 having a sword drawn in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem Vers 16. It is said Then David and the Elders of Israel who were cloathed with Sackcloth fell upon their faces And David said even I it is that have sinned and done evill indeed but as for these sheep what have they done let thine band I pray thee Vers 18. and 26. Oh Lord my God be upon me and upon my Fathers house c. And by the direction of the Angel he built an Altar and offered Sacrifices upon it unto the Lord and the anger of the Lord was pacified towards his people Let us do so this day and in all our publike and private Humiliations The Angel hath his sword drawn stretched out over the whole Land Even the sword threatned in the Text to avenge the Quarrell of the Covenant Let us fall down upon our faces and lye in the dust draw water and poure it out before the Lord take up Jeremiahs wish and Lamentation Jere. 9.1 Oâ— that my head were waters and mine eyes a Fountain of Tears That I might weep day and night for the slain of the Daughâ—er of my People Yea That we might weep bitterly for the sin which hath â—â—ain so many precious sons of Sion even this sin Covenant-Violation And oh you that have stood out in refusing
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.
procuring of such a Peace as might render both King and Parliament Church and State truely happy and glorious which is the Cordinall desire wherewith every good Christian and Loyall Subject doth travell that wisheth and studies the recovery and preservation of these three Kingdoms what further security this Sacred Covenant may adde believe and waite There is another Accommodation which may do as much mischief and is the more dangerous by how much more it is secret which it concerns thee with all care and diligence to prevent and that is an Accommodation with base sinfull Lusts which fight against thy soul and the Kingdoms safety How low they have brought the Kingdom is too apparent to every eye what they have done to thy soul is best known to God and thine own Conscience God calls not onely upon Parliament and Assembly but upon Familes and Persons for a Through-Reformation If thou compound thou destroyest thy self and three Kingdoms One sinner destroyes much good Eccle. 9.18 This Covenant conscienciously made and kept will prevent this evill For thy encouragement and direction wherein these three Sermons are prest The first discovering the great Quarrell of Covenant-violation either in refusing prophaning or breaking thereof The second answering according to my Model such Objections against the taking of this Covenant as I met withall and laying down some encouragements and engagements to the taking of it The third holding forth such directions as may serve for thy help so to make and so minde thy Covenant as thou mayest do it both to Acceptation and Perpetuity If God please to adde his blessing neither I in publishing nor thou in reading shall have cause to be ashamed of our pains If God be dallied withall in this Covenant I tremble to think what will become of us It is the strongest Physick that ever the Kingdom took and I am almost confident That as in the publike State it will either put a period to our distempers or to our Being so in thy personall condition It will either blast thy Lusts or slay thy Soul My Reason is Because God is engaged If we be found conscientious of this Covenant he is engaged to us against our enemies without and our Lusts within and they shall not be able to stand upon us If after so solemn an Obligation we shall be found to mock God we have engaged him against us and adde the Almighty to the number of our enemies a swift and a powerfull Witnesse and Avenger of our perfidiousnesse Nor will Refusall of this Covenant help us when God shall come to interpret It will be found I fear in most but a depart from us And when God shall answer the daring sinner in his own language woe to the poer wretch that ever he was born I have therefore three humble Requests to make First To our truely Honourable and worthily Honoured Senators That in the Wisedom and Zeal of good King Hezekiah 2 Chro. 30.1 in a concernment of the like nature They would be pleased with their Commands for the taking of the Covenant To send forth also such timely Laws and Directions into the Kingdom as may prepare the people and fence this holy Ordinance from that contempt and prophanation which will otherwise be unavoideably cast upon it The second is to my Brethren in the Ministry That to the same end they with the good Priests and Levites in Hezekiahs time would be active and diligent to put in execution those Directions and Ordinances and to do what else may be found in their severall places advantagious to the sanctifying of their people for so holy a service lest if they sin through their neglect they translate the peoples guilt upon their own heads Yea I could wish That all the faithfull Ministers of Christ through the Kingdom as they are the Lords Remembrancers to the people and the peoples Remembrancers to God would frequently in their Sermons minde people of the Vow of God that lies upon their souls and in their prayers make frequent mentions of it to God with holy Davids holy jealousie and compassion over his people in the day of their willing and liberall contributions to the House of God O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people Orâ—stabâ—â—th and prepare their heart unto thee 1 Chro. 29.18 That so the memory of so solemn and sacred an engagement may not die off from the heart of the Kingdom for ever Lâ—stly To every soul that shall enter into this holy League and Covenant my request is That they would look about them Life and death is before them if we break with God now we have just cause to fear God will stand to Covenant no more with us but will aveâ—ge the Quarrell with our utter destruction if we be sincere and faâ—â—â—full tâ—â—s Covenant will be a foundation of much Peace Joy Glory and Security to us and our seed to the coming of Christ which that it may be shall be the earnest Prayer of him who is Thy servant for Jesus sake Tho. Case The first Sermon Preached at Laurence Church on the Fast-day Septem 27. 1643. Leviticus 26.25 And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant THis Chapter contains a gradation of sins and a gradation of punishments higher degrees of plagues threatning to overtake higher degrees of Sin And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins four times repeated over in this Chapter The words read they are the top or rather the sum of both 〈◊〉 violation the top or sum of all the evils of sin mentioned in this Chapter and the sword with it's concomitants the top or sum of all the evils of punishment threatned And so you have the division of the words before I thought of it scil The peoples sins Gods judgements Their sin the abuse and violation of Covenant Gods Judgement the Sword c. In the one they walk contrary to God in the other God walks contrary to them From whence observe Doct. Covenant violation is matter of a high Quarrell between God and a people which God threatens to avenge with the sword You see there are two Branches in this Doctrine I. Covenant abuse is matter of an high Quarrell between God and a people II. God threatens to avenge this Quarrell with the Sword 1. For the first That Covenant-violation is matter of high Quarrell between God and a people Quarrell you finde in the Text and high you finde it in the sâ—ituation of the Text This standing as I shewed you at a top of the gradation of the sins here specified or being the summa totalis of them all Abuse of Covenant It is this first Branch I shall chiefly pursue The second I shall but touch upon as time and occasion will serve In the managing therefore
25. I will send the pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy Vers 26. I will break the staff of your bread c. And yee shall eat and not be satisfied And upon the persisting in this sinne Behold seven times more evills pursuing of them Vers 29. You shall eat the flesh of your sonnes and the flesh of your daughters shall yee cat Vers 30. I will cast your Carcasses upon the Carcasses of your Idols and my soul shall abhorre you Vers 31. I will make your Cities wast and bring your Sanctuaries unto desolation c. Vers 32. I will bring the Land into desolation Vers 33. I will scatter you among the Heathen and will draw out a sword after you c. Isa 30.18 My Brethren God is a God of Judgement and doth all his works in weight and measure Nehemiah acknowledged it in his confession Nehem. 9.33 Howbeit thou art just in all that is come upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Yea holy Ezra hath a strain higher then this in his confession Ezra 9 13. Our God hath punished us lesse then our iniquities do deserve Behold these great and fearfull judgements and curses pursuing this sin of Covenant-violation and yet so farre from exceeding that they fall short of the merit of it Our God hath punished us lesse then our sins deserved Of what a high nature think ye is this quarrell when so many tall judgements like so many Anakims though standing upon the Shoulder one of another cannot reach it Fourthly 4 4 The care of Gods people after their recovery to make up this breach It may appear from hence in as much as alwayes upon the recovery and deliverance of the people of God from their Captivity and other Judgements you shall finde their Governours and Prophets Sollicitous and active in the first place to attone God by taking up this quarrell and controversie between him and his people as in all the former Instances of Eâ—ra Nehemiah and Daniel they knew that as long as this breach lay open there was no safety floods of wrath and vengeance might break in upon them at unaware and therefore they labour in the first place to repair this breach giving us thereby to understand That Violation of Covenant is a quarrell of such an high nature as there is no safe sleeping under it no not for a night Fifthly God accounts it his honor to keep his Covenant Among all the excellencies and perfections that are in God God seems to take high delight and contentment in this and therefore doth often delight and admire himself for it Deut. 7.9 The Lord thy God he is God the faithfull God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy Psal 89 28. My Covenant shall standfast Vers 34. My Cevenant will I not break c. And as he gloriâ—s in it himself for he calleth upon his people to glorifie him in this his Excellency Jerem. 9.24 Let him that glory thâ—glory in this That he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindenesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth The righteousnesse of God is especially seen in keeping Covenant with his people and in this he calls them to glory And so they do It is one of the high and glorious titles that Daniel ascribes to God in his Prayers Dan. 9.4 O Lord the great and dreadfull God keeping Covenant and Mercy c. Psal 105 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Psal 111 5. He will ever be mindfull of his Covenant It is the Name for which he is so dreadfull in his praises Vers 9. He hath commanded hâ—s Covenant for ever holy and reverend is his Name Now surely That Excellency which God doth so admire and magnifie in himself the contrary thereof his soul doth most of all hate or abhorre in a people or person we see it in our own experience That vice we most of all hate in our children or servants the contrary vertue whereof doth most of all please and delight us in our selves Sixthly and Lastly God accâ—unts this an high favour to bring his people into Covenant with him for 1. It is a promise 2 It is established by an Oath God speaks of bringing his people into Covenant with him as one of the highest Prerogatives and choicest priviledges he can honour them withall to that purpose you may observe 1. That it stands in the midst of a Catalogue of promises Eâ—â—k 20.37 I will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant And you know with what titles of honour the Apostle hath enabled the promises Exceeding great and precious promises 2. That it fals under the Sanction not of a promise onely but of an oath also Isai 45.23 I have sworne by my self the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and shall not return That unto me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear An oath it is the Seal of the Covenant and this honour God hath challenged to himself by an irrevecable Oath I have sworne c. That to me every tongue shall swear Now as it was the honour of the Priesthood of Christ above the Priests under the Law That whereas they were made Priests by the word onely of command Christ was made a Priest by the word of Oath by him that said unto him Heb. 7.21 The Lord sware and will not repent Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck So it is the high honour and dignity of this duty and prerogative of the people of God That whereas others are conferred upon them onely by the word of promise This is established by the word of Oath by him that said I have swerne by my self that to me every tongue shall swear And by this you may take the measure of this sin since by how much the more high and glorious the service and priviledge is of so much the more vile and hatefull an aggravation must the prophanation of it needs be And this last demonstration may serve in generall as a bottome and foundation of the next account I am to make scil The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crounds and Reasons of the Doctrine Of the truth in hand which is The third thing I undertook Namely The Grounds and Reasons of the Doctrine how it comes to passe That Covenant-violation is a matter of so High a quarrell between God and his People The first whereof is taken from the nature of such a Covenant 1 1. The Nature of a Covenant A divine Ordinance Deut 6.13 Chap. 10.20 as is here spoken of First That it is an Ordinance of God a part of Divine worship having the stamp and impression of divine authority upon it Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God him shalt thou serve and to him shalt thou clâ—ave and swear by his Name From which Scriptures it appears not onely to be an Ordinance of Gods appointing but one
of the most speciall and solemne In as much as â—oth here and in other Scriptures it stands for the whole duety of man towards God in the first Table The Ordinance whereby we specially are said to clâ—ave to God Thou shalt cleave to him and swear by his Name We cleave to him by swearing to him Isai 56 6. The sonnes of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord. How It follows And take hold of my Covenant The Covenant is the joyning Ordinance The joynning Ordinance It strikes the main stroke between God and a People In hâ—aring the word we learn our Duty In Prayer we call in for helpe for divine assistance But the Covenant that comes and bindes the bargain Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord by a perpetuall Covenant Jere. 50.5 Yea The exâ—â—nall 〈◊〉 caâ—◠〈◊〉 very 〈◊〉 If we consider the very externall Ceremonies used about this duty it will appear a very solemn Ordinance Whether between man and man or between God and man When Abrahams servant sweaâ— to his Master to take a wise unto his son â—anc He must put his hand under his Masters thâ—â—â—â— A Type that the Messias must come out of Abrahams loynes Geâ— 24 7. Gâ—â— 47. â—â— So did Joseph when he swear to Jacob c. When God made a Covenant with Abraham God commands him to take an Heiser of three years old a she Goat and a Ram and 〈…〉 9.10 When he hath done God 〈…〉 betwixt the pâ—ices for a Ratification of the Covenant 〈…〉 17 Abraham when he takes an Oath Lifts up his 〈…〉 thâ— must high God These and the like Postâ—â—â—s used about this service carry a great deal of reverence and solemnity in the very face of them and this solemnity even of the outward Ceremony God useth as an aggravation of Covenant-violation God layeth it close unto the charge of Zedeziah That he brake his Covenant with the King of Babylon Ezek. 17.18 When loe he had given his hand And to the Princes and People of Juda that they transgressed the Covenant Jerem. 34.18 When they had cut the Galfe in twain and passed between the parts thereof And Vers 19 20. for this he threatens to give them into the hands of their Enemies And if the externall solemnitie adde so much aggravation to this sinne then how much more doth that inward beauty and glory of it heap up guilt upon their heads that are found to be prophaners and violators of so solemn an Ordinance A second Aggravation of this sin ariseth from the Mattor of the Covenant Covenants betwixt man and man are in things appertaining to man The Covenant betwixt God and man is in things appertaining unto God which as it doth exceedingly heighten the duty so it doth highly aggravate the violation It was the honour of the Priests under the Law above other men That they were ordained for men in things appertaining unto God Heb. 5.2 And it was the honour of Christ above all other Priests that his Priesthood was imployed about matters of an higher nature then the Priesthood of the sonnes of Aaron Heb. 8.6 He hath obtained a more excellent Ministry by how much also he is the Mediatour of a better Covenant which was established upon better promises Now consider then I beseech you how excellent that Covenant must be above all others the matter whereof gave excellency to the very Priesthood of Christ himself and lifted it up above all other Priesthoods For as the Apostle reasons concerning Abraham and Melchisedeck That Melchisideck was greater then Abraham because he blessed him Heb 7.7 For without question the lesser is blessed of the better So may I in some sence argue the excellency of this Covenant above the Priesthood of Christ in as much as this Covenant gives excellency to this Priesthood He hath obtained a more excellent Priesthood by how much he is Mediator of a better Covenant And certainly the excellency of the matter is a transcendent aggravation of the violation of the Covenant for men to trissle and prevaricate in things of such high concernment in things so immediately appertaining to God must needs be a businesse of an higher provocation then the sonnes of men do ordinarily dream of The Apostle reasons strongly and dreadfully in this very case Heb. 10.28 29. He that despised Moses Law died without mercy Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy who hath counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing c. The Covenant and the blood of it the priviledge and the purchase are both trampled under feet in some degree or other by Covenant-prophanation Thirdly A third reason why Covenant-prophanation is matter of so high a quarrell is taken from the Forme of it which is an Oath an Oath on both sides The Creature swears by God and God swears by himself This is the Forme or Seal of Covenants between men and men So Jacob when he made a Covenant with his Uncle Laban sware by the fear of his father Isaac Gen. 31.53 i. e. That is Objective By the God whom his father Isaac fâ—ared So Jonathan and David sware mutually by the name of God The Oath of the Lord was betwixt them So Zâ—dekiah took an Oath of fealty and subjection unto Nebâ—chadnezzar King of Babylon In the name of the God of Israel for which cause Ezck. 17.13 19. God calls it My Oath and my Covenant And hence it is That God so severely threatens the violation of that Covenant with inevitable destruction upon Zedekiah Ezek. 17.16 As I live saith the Lord God sure in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose Oath he deâ—pised and whose Covenant he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon shall be dye The King of Babylons Oath because Zedâ—kiah sware to him and Gods Oath because he sware by him And see how divine Justice avengeth the quarrell of this Covenant Zedâ—kiah sware to Nebuchadnezzar and did not keep his Oath But for this God swears the death of Zedekiah and will be sure to keep his Oath This Accession of an Oath to the Covenant a people or person swearing By the most high God and calling so holy and dreadfull a Majestie to Witnesse must needs wonderfully heighten the sin and aggravate the quarrell by this means Covenant Breach becometh a double sin a sin twisted of two sins and those no small ones neither of lying and swearing Jere. 23.10 The lye being the prophanation of the truth of God and the Oath the prophanation of the God of trueth sins for which take them singly a Land doth often mourn Hos 4.2 Of how much higher provocation are they when they meet yea when they meet and are met into one communicating their malignity one unto another and thereby bigning and aggravating one another The Lye making the Oath greater and the Oath making the Lye greater and out of both there ariseth an aliquod tertium a third sin of
a monstrous nature namely perjury which is a blasphemy against the Truth of God and against the God of Truth while His Sacred Name is sworne by and himself cald in to witnesse to a Lye and so that sin or sins which in reference to the Law of God is disobedience in reference to love of God inviting pardoning healing is rebellion in reference to our promise is treachery is now at last in reference to the Oath aggravated into perjury and blasphemy This is much but this is not all Reason 4 Consider the Parties entring this Oath and you will finde a fourth and yet a strong ground and reason The parties swearing why Covenant-violation is so high a quarrell The parties striking this Covenant which are God and his People and this doth exceedingly aggravate the sin since by how much the parties interested in the Covenant are more high and honourable by so much the more solemne and venerable is a Covenant esteemed So Covenants entred into between Kings and Kings and between Kingdoms Kingdoms are accounted more solemn and sacred then those that are past between private persons What is it then think ye when a Kingdom yea Kingdoms on one side and the great Almighty God on the other side swear mutually one to another And the more Sacred the Covenant the more prophane the Violation Oh for a People to swear not onely By God but to God and yet dally or prevaricate this must needs be a mockery of an high provocation If God so threaten the breach of Oaths wherein he was but witnesse how impatient will he be of those forseitures wherein he is both Witnesse and Partie A People or Person swearing By God to God Reas 5 And yet once more consider the End of a Covenant between God and a People 1 1. End of a Covenant and you will see more matter of provocation in the prophanation of it Now the end is twofold Primarie or Essentiall Secondarie or Consequentiall The Primarie or Essentiall End is to knita sure indissoluble knot Jer 50.5 between God and his people Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant c. Let us joyn A Covenant is the joyning Ordinance the Marriage knot as it were wherein God and a People are made one for as in Marriage 1 Cor 6.16 17. two saith he shall be one flesh so in a Covenant he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit Those be high and glorious expressions which our Saviour useth in that heavenly Prayer John 17.21 22 23. That they may be all one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us That the world may know that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them That they may be one even as we are one I in thee and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one All one and one in us and one as we are one and made perfect in one These be expressions and priviledges of unspeakable worth and excellency and these are the fruits of a Covenant rightly struck between God and a People when both sides do it with all their heart and with all their soul as God himself renders it more then once or twice in Scripture I will be their God and they shall be my People Jere. â—4 7 c. 31 33. c. 30.22 c. 32.38 i. e. I will be to them what they can expect from a God and they shall be to me what I expect from a People All I am and have shall be for their good And all they are or have shall be for my glory and so the Spouse triumphs Cant. 2.15 chap. 6.3 I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine This is the first and main end of a Covenant 2 2. End And the second is like unto it which is to put an end to all strife Heb. 6.16 An Oath for confirmation is an end of all strife i. e. If here be any doubts or haesitations or diffidence on either side an Oath by the swearing party is or should be the removeall of that doubt or distrust whatsoever It should I say be so managed and entertained as that it should put the matter out of question to make all sure Whether it be in matters of fact de praeterito for the time past or engagements de futuro for the time to come so it is between God and man Man swears to God to secure God as it were that there shall â—e no more tergiversations or treacherous dealings as in times past Let us joyn in a perpetuall Covenant that shall never be forgotten q. d. Other Covenants have been forgotten this shall never we will backslide no more break Covenant no more or rather a People or Person swear to God to secure themselves against themselves to prevent and shut the dore against all future sollicitations importunities and Temptations whatsoever That when any of their old Lovers should come and bespeck their affections they may be able to put them all by that there might be no possibility of yeelding or hearkning to the voyce of this Charmer charm he never so wisely while the soul may answer them all as sometime Jepthah did his daughter though with more warrant and lesse trouble of minde Judg. 11.35 I have opened my mouth to the Lord and I cannot go back And with David Psal 119.106 I have sworn and will performe it I will be as good as my word though I die for it That I will keep thy righteous judgements And again Thy vows are upon me O God I will render praise unto thee I am not mine own to dispose of I have given my heart and my loves and my self unto another and I do not repent of what I have done if it were to do again I would do it and were I worth a thousand times more then I am he to whom I have sworn should have it all And so on the other side God swears to his People That â—s I may so say he may leave himself no possibility of recanting or recalling his word Heb. 6.13 Vers 16. if he had a minde to it The Apâ—stles expression hints such a kinde of supposition God when he could swear by no greater swore by himself Why That by two immutable things sc His Word and his Oath in which it was impossible for God to lye Impossible for him to lye A very strange expression As if God would lock up himself under an Oath from all possibility of lying or recalling the word out of his mouth he would not trust himselfe as if the Apostle should say with making a bare promise but claps an oath upon it also that so if be would yet he could not go back This seems to be implyed in this expression out the truth is though we need such bolts and locks to keep us from starting God doth not he hath as much and more mind to
keep his word then we have that he should But for our sakes for our sakes altogether is this written because of the unbelief of our bearts to secure our unbeleeving objecting spirits against all fear and jealousie of so much as a pâ—ssibility of going bâ—â—k from his word or failing of his promise and so indeed it is after expressed Vers 18. That by two immutable things by which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong Consolation c. To strengthen our weak hands and feeble knees and drooping spirits in the expectations and belief of the undoubted accomplishment of all his promises Now then Beloved Christians this being the end of Covenants and Oaths mutually between God and his People sc To Vnite and Secure the one to the other when a People or Person haffle or break with God after all this the end of the Covenant is frustrated and defrauded The bands are broken the security dissolved all falls in sunder as a bundle of Arrows when the bond is cut and then in comes fears doubts and jealousies which oft do no small mischief in the soul while they even take a poor People or Person Captive and spoil them of their precious treasure that they can hardly recover their former comforts or confidence again in a long time These breaches do so wound their spirits and shrink up their sinews I speak of the People of God themselves that with their Father Jacob they go halting peradventure to their very Graves And now look upon the Covenant under all these Aspects and Notions Of Nature Of Matter Of Forme Of Parties Of End And then you will easily be able to give an account Why Covenant-Violation should be a matter of so high a quarrell between God and a People in all the three kindes of it Contemptuous refusing Gracelesse prophaning Perfidious deceiving Not onely of the Covenant of God but of the God of the Covenant A People of Person mocking God and deluding themselves breaking with God and doing what they can to make God break with them and to break them all to peeces Now for the second Branch of the Doctrine The 2. Brand of the Doctrine This Quarrell God threatens to avâ—nge with the sword There be but two things which I need handle heer 1. De facto To shew How God hath made good this threatning in the dispensations of his providence and Justice by overtaking this sin of Covenant-Prophanation with this judgement of the sword and its concomitants 2. De jure To vindicate and assert Gods Justice in these dispensations of his by shewing the equity and righteousnesse of such proceedings But both these are done if not so fully as might be yet sufficiently already The Instances given of the sin in the very same places for the most part holding forth also examples of the Judgment besides so many other Instances in Scripture so known That who ever is not a stranger to his Bible may turn to them with a wet finger And the Demonstrations and Reasons that set forth unto you the greatnesse of the sin the highnesse of the quarrell do upon the very first view Vindicate and Justifie the Equity of Gods proceedings in avenging this sin and quarrell with so grievous a judgement as the sword And since the servants of God who have well weighed both in the ballance of the Sanctuary have acknowledged not onely the sin to have equalled the Judgement Thou art just O Lord in all that is come upon us Nehe. 9. Ezâ—a 9. But infinitely to have weighed it down our God hath punisht us lesse then our iniquities deserve This therefore shall suffice for the second Branch of this Doctrine and so we will improve the time that might be spent in the further proof and enlargement thereof in making Use of what hath been delivered already in that Doctrine Vse THe first Use that we may make of this sad truth may be according to the work of this day to discover to us what cause we have to afflict our souls and to abhorre our selves in dust and ashes before the Lord. For behold God is contending with this Kingdom by fire the fire of the sword so called often in the Scripture is sent upon us and marcheth through the breadth of the Land in the widest extent of the Kingdom even from the furthermost parts of the West to the uttermost parts of the North A Sword I say the worst of all Judgements witnesse the sad Catalogue of evills here that do accompany it ut supra yea a Civill Sword the worst of all Swords a Forraign Sword hits at randome But this knows whom to smite and where to make the deepest wounds Brother embrues his hands in the Brothers blood and a mans enemies are these of his own house and therefore the more enemies because of his own house No Quarrell so fierce no fewd so mortall as those are between the neerest relations when Coals of division are once kindled amongst them This Sword I say is drawn and much flesh it hath devoured already and drunk much precious blood Nationall blood Christian blood Fraternall blood while we cry to it as once Jeremiah did Jerem. 47.6 O thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet Put up thy self into thy Scabbord rest and be still But the Sword either gives us no Answer or such a one as follows there in the next verse How can I be quiet Seeing the Lord hath given me a charge against England Yea we may fear that God is saying concerning us as once to his Prophet Ezekiel concerning Israel Ezek. 21.9 10. A Sword a Sword is sharpned it is sharpned and also furbish'd T is sharpned to make a sore slaughter should we then make mirth No When God sends a Sword upon a People the times are times of mourning and not of merriment Read on else Vers 10. It contemneth the rod of my son as every tree Vers 11. And he hath given it to be furbished that it may be handled This Sword is sharpned and t is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer Vers 12. Cry and howl son of man for it shall be upon my People it shall be upon all the Princes of Israel terrours by reason of the Sword shall be upon my People Smite therefore upon thy thigh Vers 13. Because it is a tryall and what if the Sword contemn the Rod The rod of God has been upon us the rod of a more inferior and gentle correction but it has done us no good Folly is so bound up in our hearts that it is not a rod of correction that will fetch it out We will not yet stoop nor submit unto the Government of Jesus Christ therefore we may fear that now the sword comes to contemn the rod to despise the rod saying as it were What does this silly Rod do here Will they not stoop Will they not put their neâ—ks under the yoak of Christ
Let me come I le make them either bow or break I le make them either yeeld or I le have their blood Those his Enemies that will not have him raign over them bring them hither That I may slay them before his face Ah my Brethren we may fear That God is speaking against us in some such bitter language as this is and what think you may be the cause What the Quarrell Surely there is cause enough The Parliament tell us of a fearfull Catalogue of horrible provocations Contempt of Gods holy Ordinances and of holynesse it self Grosse and affected ignorance under the glorious light of the Gospel cleerly shining among us unfruïtfulnesse under the precious means of Grace ingratitude for mercies incorrigiblenesse under judgements multitudes of Oaths and blasphemiâ—s wicked prophanations of the Lords day by sports and gaming 's formerly encouraged even by Authority All sorts of uncleannesse Luxury and excesse in eating or drinking Vanity Prid and Prodigalitie in Apparrell Envy Contention and unnaturall Divisions Oppression Fraud and Violence from divers of which sins and many other not one Person throughout the whole Nation can say That he is wholly Free Besides that all must confesse That they have contributed toward the great stock of Nationall sins and so have increased the treasure of Wrath against these dayes of Wrath. But especially they tell us of two horrid crying sin Idolatry and Blood Idolatry which as it was the sin of our Ancestors so it is the spreading sin of these latter times while by a generall connivance and almost toleration it hath been severall wayes fomented and encouraged And for that other crying and cruell sin of bloodshed That calls alouà for veng ance it went hand in hand with the abhominable Idoll of the Masse in the dayes of Queen Mary and some of her Predecessors when many hundreds of the dear Martyrs and Saints of God lost their precious lives in flames and prisons These are the sins and provocations which our Parliament Worthies give us notice of which surely may amount to a very High quarrell But to all these without controversie England hath added this Quarrell in the Text to make up the measure of our iniquities even Covenant-Violation Witnesse all these severall wayes and branches of this sin mentioned in the entrance Which of them doth not this Land stand guilty of this day before the Lord All sorts of Covenant violation found among us Wilfull rejection For 1. Are there not found among us multitudes of such prophane Ephramitish and Zebulonitish spirits that do reproachfully and contemptuously refuse and reject the Covenant of God that deals with the Parliament Injunctions and the Ministers of the Gospels invitations to this service as they did with King Hezekiâ—hs Messengers laugh thâ—m to scornâ— lade them with Calumnies and Reproaches What more Covenants yet Will they never have done Covenanting Will they send us to Hell quick with their Protestations and Oaths and Covenants These and the like voices of murmure and rebellion God hath heard in our Tents and his anger is kindled Oh what shiftings and shufflings what base unworthy tergiversations hath God found among us to elude and envade this solemn service Indeed he said he would bring his People into the Bond of the Covenant but if he would have the most part of the People among us enter into Covenant with him he must drive them into the Bond of the Covenant Are not these of the kindred of the Scribes and Lawyers of whom it is said when they were invited unto Baptism Luk. 7.30 which was the Seal of the Covenant they rejected the Counsell of God against themselves being not Baptized c. And may not the Ministers of the Gospel answer this Generation in some such Language as the Apostles did the unbelieving Jews who spake against the things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming Acts 13.45 even as these men do Vers 26. It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken unto you but since you put it from you and judged your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turn to the Gentiles so we to these men It was our Commission and Compassion to speak to you and perswade you to enter into this solemn League and Covenant with God and his People but since you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of so great a priviledge loe we turn to other People and other Churches we will trouble you no more God will have a People that shall accept of this Grace of his and think themselves highly honoured to by the most high God 2. Of them that do take it how few be there that take it in a due manner according to the Laws and Rules of so holy and solemn an Ordinance For 1. Rash and unadvised entring into Covenant Eccle. 5.1 How many be there that take it Rashly Hand over Head as we say not considering what they do The sin of former times in England hath been That our Fathers knew not this service they regarded it not it was hid from them they enquired not after it and these times of ignorance God winked at or God lightly regarded them But it is the sin of these latter times that we slight this Ordinance That we know not or regard not to know the Laws of this Ordinance the goings in thereof and the comings out thereof That we come to such an extraordinary duty with ordinary hardly so much as ordinary Consideration and Preparation Indeed such care and Caution hath not been used for the informing and preparing of People for so solemn a service as was meet whereby it hath been exposed to unspeakable prophanation and the most of People have but offered the sacrifice of fools while they have made their addresse thereunto The Lord convince and humble those whom it doth more especially concern to have prevented this sin by their providence and diligence for concerning this service we have just cause to acknowledge with holy David 1 Chron. 15.13 For because ye did it not at first The Lord our God made a breach upon us yea many breaches in the West and in the North c. For that we sought him not herein after the due order We keep our Fasts for the most part as if nothing were required but to hang down our head for a day and we take Covenants as if all that is to be done were but to hold up the hand for a day 2. Again How many have taken it Vnsoundnesse of heart Rottenly and Hypocritically their hearts not being * Psa 78.37 Vers 3. upright with God in this matter while some have come with their Idols in their hearts with their base Lusts in their bosomes Some have taken it if not with a purpose to break it yet with no purpose to keep it They did but flatter him with their mouth and lye to him with their tongues And others have taken it with their own
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
also with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evill Instruments by hindering the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any Faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publike tryall and receive condign punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient V. And whereas the happinesse of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denyed in former times to ouâ— Progenitors is by the good Providence of God granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our place and interest indeavour that they remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterity And that Justice may be done upon the wilfull Opposers therof in manner expressed in the precedent Article VI. We shall also according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and Conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and honour of the King but shall all the dayes of our lives zealoufly and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever and what we are not able our selves to suppresse or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many sins and provocations against God and his Son Jesus Christ as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers the fruits thereof we professe and declare before God and the world our unfained desire to be humbled for our own sins and for the sins of these Kingdoms especially That we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy oâ— him in our lives which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfained purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publike and in private in all duties we owe 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 turn away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in truth and peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his holy Spirit for this end and to blesse our desires and proceedings with such successe as may be deliverance and safety to his people and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoak of Antichristian Tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common wealths THis Brethren is the Covenant before us to which God and his Parliament do invite us this day wherein the Ends propounded lye fair to every impartiall eye The first Article in this Covenant binding us to the Reformâ—tion of Religion and the â—â—st Article to the Reformation of our Lives In both we joyn our silâ—s to the Lord and swear to ask and receive from his Lips the Law of this Reformation Read them else again and consider And trudy this is a why as well as a what that I may a little prevent my self A â—otive of the first Magnitude Oh for a People or Person to be joyâ—â— unto the Lord to be made one with the most high God of Heaven and Earth before whom and to whom we swear is a priviledge of unspeakable worth and excellency Seâ—meth it said David once to Sauls servants a small thing to your eyes to be son in law to a King seeing I am a poor man 1 Sam 18.23 Seemeth it may I say a small thing to you for poor creatures to be joyned and married as it were to the great GOD the living God who are so much worse then nothing by how much sin is worse then vanity yea to be one with him as Christ saith in that heavenly Prayer of his John 1â— 21 22 23. As he and his Father is one That they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one with us And again That they may be one even as we are one Yea perfect in one not indeed in the perfection of that unitie but in unitie of that perfection not made perfect in a perfection of equality but of conformity This is the fruit of a right managed Covenant and the greatest honour that poor mortality is capable of Moses stands admiring of it Deut 32.33 You may read the place at your leisure But against this blessed Service and Trueth are there mustered and led up an whole Regiment of Oâ—jâ—ctions under the conduct of the father of lies though some of them may seem to have some shadow of truth and therefore so much the more carefully to be examined I shall deal onely with some of the chief Commanders of them if they be conquered the rest will vanish of their own accord Objections propounded and answered Obj. 1 Object 1. If this were the end of this service yet it were needlesse since we have done it over and over again It is needlesse in our former Protestations and Covenants and so this repetition may seem to be a prophanation of so holy an Ordinance by making of it so ordinary and nothing else but a taking of Gods name in vaine To this I answer Answ 1. It cannot be done too oft if it be done according to the Law and Order of so solemn an Ordinance 2. The people in the Text might have made the same Objection it lay as strong against the work to which they encourage one another For surely this was not the first time they engaged themselves to God by way of Covenant but having broken their former Covenants they thought it their priviledge and not
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
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