this sinne for if one sinner destroyeth much good what will a multitude a million doe beside the privation of all that personall good fore-mentioned and the positive displeasure and evils which God insticts on Covenant-breakers which oftentimes lights heavy on men in this world in their name estates bodies consciences See Lev. 26.15 c. and Deut. 28.15 to 68. there are 54. verses together of dreadfull plagues that God denounceth against Covenant-breakers one of which well set on by the hand of the Almighty is enough to breake the heart of the stoutest sinner Jerem. 11.2 3. saith God Heare ye the words of this Covenant Thus saith the Lord cursed bee the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenans Neither doth breach of Covenant with God alwayes bring evill upon a mans selfe only but upon others also many times take one instance 2 Sam. 21. because Saul brake the Covenant which Joshuah and Israel made with the Giboonites at their first comming into Canaan therefore God brought on all Israel a famine in the dayes of David for three yeares together There are divers things remarkeable here as 1. This Covenant was made not with Israel Gods owne people but with the Gibeonites who were otherwise designed to destruction with the rest of the Canaanites 2. It was not made in Sauls owne person but by his Predecessor and that 3. above three hundred and eighty yeares before Saul came to the Kingdome 4. It was with a good intention in Saul and out of his zeale for the children of Israel and Judah v. 2. Yet God plagued all Israel and Judah with a famine for that breach of Covenant no lesse then 3. yeares yeare after yeare The inference from hence is easie that every one may see what a grievous thing it is to breake Covenant with God Consider all these things weigh and ponder them well and seriously and the Lord worke them on your hearts and make them effectuall to quicken you and mee to this duty 2. Directions to further us in the duty Now if there be any soule that having entred into Covenant with God lately and all that have formerly done it in Baptisme who unfainedly desires and resolves to keep Covenant with God let him hearken to these directions following which may through the blessing of God not a little further him in the performance of this duty 1. Resolve upon it that it is a duty and it must be done Covenants must be kept and that you will set about it and are resolved to doe it Resolution will carry a man on far and help much as in all worldly undertakings so in spirituall and where a man is not resolved to goe on every little matter will take him off That is the first 2. Red the heart of all it 's base lusts especially of it's bosome lusts labour to empty the soule of them Our lusts are like unto Sampsons lockes all the while Sampsons lockes were on no bonds would hold him but when they were cut off he could easily be bound so here while our strong lusts remaine in our hearts no bonds no promises or Covenants will hold us in obedience to God You may see this in the Jewes Jerem. 42. 1 2 3. They came to the Prophet desired him to aske counsell of God for them what he will have them to doe and they promise very solemnely to doe it ver 5. and 6. They said to Ieremy The Lord be a true and faithfull witnesse betweene us if we doe not according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us whether it be good or whether it be evill we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we fend thee and they adde a strong reason also why they will doe so that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God Yet there was a bosome lust in their hearts and therefore when the Prophet from the Lord told them what they should doe that it might be well with them they fall off all their former solemne protestation would not hold chap. 43.2 3. Therefore labour to rid the heart of all base lusts that like a false by as in a bowle will draw aside from Gods Commandements 3. Know where the power both to be rid of bosome lusts that hinder and to keep Covenant with God is and seeke it there where it is to be had and that is in Jesus Christ all our strength is in him there is no power in our selves not so much as to thinke a good thought of our selves as of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. God is the strength of his people Psal 28.8 and 37.39 and he will give strength unto them Psal 29.11 and 68.35 All the grace we have is from Christ by his Spirit and all the obedience we doe is by vertue of his grace in us inabling us As at first all the strength we should have had had Adam and we stood in him was to be derived from him the first Adam so now all the strength a Christian hath to doe God any service is from Jesus Christ the second Adam by vertue of a new Covenant made with us in him It is not enough to binde a mans selfe in a bond of a hundred or a thousand pounds the bond will not pay the debt or inable the obliged to doe it there must be a stocke of mony a power and way to raise it or it will never be done so here now all our strength is in Christ and therefore as Josephs brethren in their want went to Joseph the Lord of Egypt so we must goe to Jesus the Lord of the Church This is his Office he is the Prophet and King of his Church a Prophet to teach us and a King to rule in our hearts by his Spirit to subdue sinne and mable to holinesse therefore he hath received gifts to give unto men Psal 68.18 and Ephes 4.8 Therefore if disordered lusts stirre in the soule goe to Christ the King as when there are disordered persons in a Kingdome we goe to the Magistrate to punish and curbe them so goe to Christ for power against them and for power to doe duty to keep Covenant And as you looke to Christs Office with an eye of faith so presse him with his promise he hath promised to subdue our enemies sinne and Satan and to inable his to doe valiantly and his promise is confirmed by an oath Heb. 6.17 18. and 7.20 therefore feare not to speed 4. Exercise the abilities you have received already and they will increase and grow greater as we use to say use leggs and have leggs use strength and have strength so use that little ability you have from him and God will give more To him that hath shall be given Mat. 25.29 Doe as well as you can aquinas actus intendit habitum si nervosè fit the act increaseth the habit and faculty of doing if the power we
have be put out in acting I say therefore to you as David to Solomon 1 Chron. 22.16 Arise and be doing and the Lord will be with you 5. Get strong reasons for God against sinne Satan c. for the true Religion against Popery and Popish Innovations c. for unlesse the judgement be clearly convinced the heart will never come fully off and much lesse goe on evenly and constantly in the duty and therefore get strong reasons why God must be beleeved loved feared obeyed above all so why sinne must be left and abhorred why this Religion must be embraced professed practised justified defended and not Papistry or any other Religion and so for all other things protested 6. Renew your graces as faith repentance and love often 1. Faith for ever the soule finds it true by experience that as faith increaseth or declineth so doth obedience 2. Renew Repentance or sorrow for sinne and former failings often To sinne once is too often but to repent sorrow for it many times is little enough The oftner we renew our repentance and sorrow for our sailings and breaches of Covenant the greater will be our sorrow and the more our care to keep Covenant and feare to offend for the future 3. Renew also your love to God and Jesus Christ The more love to God and goodnesse the more strength and readinesse in the soule to obey God 7. Set up a spirituall watch in the soule over thine owne heart Jer. 17.9 42.3 4 6 7. with 43.2 3. especially against the lusts to which thou art most prone that the deceitfull heart and lusts draw it not aside out of the way of Gods Commandements Every man hath a deceitfull and dissembling heart that is ever ready to dissemble with God and deceive it selfe If any man hath a better thought of himselfe he is so much the worse for that thought and therefore have an eye to the Covenant and looke to thine owne heart also that it deceive thee not and cause thee to behave thy selfe falsly in thy Covenant 8. Keep under a powerfull Ministery and be frequent in the use of all Gods Ordinances and religious duties It is the means God hath appointed to keep men in the good way of obedience to Gods Commandements In 2 Chron. 15. we reade that every thing was out of order and there was no regard of the Law of God or man and the reason is ver 3. because Israel was without a teaching Priest dumbe S Johns it may be they had enough but there was no teaching ministery to instruct direct and exhort them to duty and as Gods instrument to convey grace by his Ordinances to inable them to obey God for the teaching Minister is an instrument by whose labours in the word God is pleased to worke grace in the hearts of his people whereby they are inabled to duty The Ministery of the Word reading the Scriptures prayer c. are the food of the soule Now he that will labour or be able to worke must eate so he that will have strength to doe duties acceptably and keep Covenant with God must be frequent in the use of Gods Ordinances The soule must feed on this bread of life and therefore brethren that you may be inabled to doe the Lords worke and keep touch with God live under a powerfull Ministery and be constant and conscionable in the use of it and all other meanes of grace Let me exhort you as the Angell did Elias Vp and eat so doe you feed with savour and delight upon the Word Sacraments c. 9. Minds your selves often of the Covenant thinke serionsly with your selves what you have done and how deeply you have engaged your selves to God and worke it on your hearts that it may take a deep impression on your spirits that it may never be forgotten for if it be forgotten though never so solemnely made it will be broken Therefore brethren minde your selves of your duty and often remember one another Heb 3.13 exhort one another This will be of good use also Men keep in minde their Rent-dayes dayes of payment and will sometimes put others in minde also least they misse and forfeit and so should we doe least we loose the benefit of our Covenant Lastly pray often and earnestly and get others to pray for you also and pray one for another So did David for himselfe Psal 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord I will walke in thy truth unite my heart to feare thy Name And Psalme 119.36 Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies So verse 80. and 143. Also for others 1 Chron. 29. when he saw a great willingnesse in the peoples spirits hee prayes verse 18. 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 and prepare their hearts unto thee So pray I also for you even for every one that hath some good resolutions and is in his heart purposed to keep Covenant with God The Lord keepe this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of your hearts and prepare your hearts to him This God hath promised Jer. 32.39 40. Ezek. 36.27 there is great ground for prayer Now we know that faithfull prayer will availe much if it be fervent James 5.16 the promise is made to it and it is the worke of Gods owne Spirit and God cannot but heare the request of his owne Spirit put up according to his will I end all with that of King David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 Arise and be doing and the Lord will be with you And that of the Apostle Be not weary of well-doing for in due time ye shall reape if ye faint not Amen FINIS
this is the way to prosper Or Obedience is the way to true Prosperity The former onely is that which here I intend to insist upon and shall include the other in the motives to this point In handling of which the Rules of Method do require that I do shew you before I come to Application 1. What a Covenant is and the kindes of it 2. What it is to keep Covenant with God 3. How it must be observed 4. The proof and grounds of this Duty For the first A Covenant to speak of it to the present purpose is a solemn promise whereby a man doth engage himself to God to perform all that Obedience unto God required in his Word by strength from Jesus Christ 1. I call it a promise Because the party Covenanting doth promise unto God Obedience 2. I call it a solemn promise Because it is ordinarily made with some outward solemnity Of this outward solemnity which is for the greater ratification of it we finde divers forms in the sacred Scripture Sometimes by Sacrifice as a Seal of the Covenant with God so Psal 50.5 Sometimes with subscribing of hands as Isai 44.5 Sometimes by sealing it also as Nehem. 9.38 Sometimes by an Oath as in this Chapter vers 12. and 2 Chron. 15.12.15 Sometimes with an Oath and a Curse so Nehem. 10.29 All formes binde firmly only some in a greater degree and lay a stronger tye upon the soul then some others do So that to break either must be dishonest and damnable 3. It was added whereby a man doth engage himself to God for it lays a strong band and engagement on the soul you have the phrase Jere. 30.21 Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord. 4. To perform unto God viz. in respect of sincere endeavour all the obedience which God in his Word requireth of him for otherwise it is as good as nothing to binde our selves to obey God in somethings and in othersome to take liberty to our selves to transgresse at our pleasure It is universall obedience that God requireth Deut. 5.33 5. Lastly It was added in the description By strength from Christ or in the name of Christ c. All our ability is from him and without him we can do nothing that is truly good and acceptable unto God John 15.5 Now there is a double Covenant Personall and Nationall Personall is that which is presupposed and sealed in Baptism and renued in the Lords Supper The Articles whereof are these two 1. Faith in God through our Lord Jesus Christ And 2. Obedience to his Commandments the summe of which is contained in the Decalogue or ten Commandments as a fruit of that our Faith in God Nationall is when a whole Nation at least the generality do thus engage themselves to the Lord and such is the Protestation lately taken Thus much of the first thing propounded now of The second What it is to keep Covenant and wherein it consists To keep Covenant with God is to imbrace and observe his Commandments and that must be done inwardly and outwardly and so by the whole Man Inwardly the Covenant is laid hold on and observed 1. In the minde by knowing and beleeving them First By knowing the minde and will of God and what he requires of us in his Word which is the Book of the Covenant Exod. 24.7 containing the Articles or Conditions of the Covenant on both sides what we must expect from God and what we must perform unto him which are propounded by Moses the Mediatour and assented to by the people Exod. 19. and a Copy of them fair Written delivered to the people Exod. 20. Secondly By Faith beleeving his Word resting on his promises For though Faith being an affiance or fiduciall resting on the promise of life be an act of the will and heart as well as of the minde yet I place it here because it hath its originall the assent in the minde understanding and giving assent to the promise as true and good 2. In the memory it consists by retaining in minde what the Lord requires of us and what we must perform unto him for we cannot keep our Covenant with God unlesse we both know remember and bear in minde the Articles and Conditions which we are to observe 3. In our wills by imbracing of his Covenant that is freely willingly and heartily making choice of God to be our God in Christ our Father and Soveraign Lord and imbracing these Conditions upon which he is pleased to accept of us to be his peculiar people and which we engage our selves to observe and to our power perform unto him as most holy just and good not only good and right in themselves but good to us also and all those that in conscience do observe them Rom. 7.12 4. In our affections we lay hold on the Covenant and keep it when we do not onely assent to the conditions of the Covenant embrace them and resolve to observe them to our power but do it out of love to the Commandment joying and rejoycing in this Covenant with the Prophet Jer. 15.16 delighting in it fearing to break it caring to observe it according to our promise and bounden duty Thus we must embrace and keep the Covenant in our inward man viz. In the mind by knowing and believing it in our memory by retaining it and meditating on it in our wills by embracing the conditions of it freely and willingly as just and good and in our affections by loving joying delighting in it c. Outwardly also By obeying his Commandments by a hearty endeavour in the whole course of our lives to observe and do them Nebem 10.29 They clave to their brethren their Nobles as if you should say The Parliament-men to walk in Gods Law and to observe and do all the Commandments of the Lord and his Judgements and his Statutes This is the second Thirdly How we must keep Covenant with God for the manner and extent of our Obedience viz. 1. Willingly and heartily do every duty every service we do unto God from the heart with a ready mind as unto the Lord as Josiah did who made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies and his Statutes with all his heart and with all his soul 2 Chron. 34 31. It is certain That in every good action there is tantum bonitatis quantum voluntatis so much goodnesse as there is willingnesse and hearty affection therefore it is that in every service God calls for the heart Prov. 23.26 My sonne give me thine heart without which all our services are but hypocriticall and the most plentifull expressions of Obedience little regarded by the Almighty God is a spirit and therefore looks on the spirits of men and will be worshipped in spirit and truth Job 4.24 2. Vniversally In all things as well in one thing as in another we may not observe some things and omit
others at our pleasure for any worldly profits preferment or other respect whatsoever Deut. 5.32 33. Ye shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that ye may live c. 3. Constantly Alwayes To this we are exhorted encouraged commanded Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithfull to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Gal. 6.9 Be not weary of well-doing to begin well and afterward to fall off again is fearfull what is it else but to return with the dog to his vomit and with the Swine to the wallowing in the mire better for such a man that he had never known the way of righteousnesse then after he hath known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto him 2 Pet. 2.21 22. Better it is that thou shouldst not vow he there speaks of things Arbitrary and not such as are commanded and necessary then that thou shouldst vow and not pay it This for the Manner Now Fourthly come we to the Grounds and Reasons why we must having once entred into Covenant with God be carefull constantly to observe and keep it And they are these and the like 1. The Command of God which is very clear and full in the Text See also Yer 11.6 Hear ye the words of this Covenant and do them Deut. 4.23 Saith Moses to Israel from God Take heed to your selves lest ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he hath made with you Psal 50.15 Pay thy vows unto the most high Eccles 5.4 When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fools pay that which thou hast vowed In these two last places it is spoken chiefly if not onely of vows made of things voluntary and Arbitrary that was in the power of him that voweth before he vowed to vow or not vow them unto the Lord yet being once vowed the vow must be kept And if this binde in things Arbitrary how much more in things necessary and otherwise commanded Also full to this purpose is that Deut 4.6.40 and 5.1 2.32 33 and 6.1 and in very many other places Now we all ought to make conscience of the command of God and carefully to observe and do it in respect of our relation unto him and dependance upon him both essendo operando in our being actions and well being which is wholly on him He gave us a Being when we had none continueth that being and the comforts of it we do enjoy and redeemed us when we were worse then nothing undone and lost for ever 2. We should keep Covenant with God because of that solemn * Quia jam vovisti jam te ad strinxisti a iud tibi facere non licet Aug. in Ep. ad Armâ—n bond and tye that lieth upon our souls whereby we have engaged our selves to God to be his and onely his for ever to fear him and serve him for ever Numb 30.2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to binde his soul with aboud every oath every vow bindes the soul layes a strong bond or engagement on it If it be but a mans Covenant no man may disannull it saith the Apostle Gal. 3.15 viz. By reason of the strong bond or tye it layeth on the soul How much greater think you is the tye and engagement which the Covenant of God layeth on the soul 3. We must keep Covenant with God that we may be like unto God as we are exhorted to be Ephes 5.1 as in all other things so in this we must strive to imitate and follow God to be like unto him Now concerning God we reade That he is faithfull in keeping Covenant with us Deut. 7.9 The Lord thy God is the faithfull God that keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments Psal 111.5 He is ever mindefull of his Covenant as he promises Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth thee unto me for ever c. Therefore since God is faithfull in keeping Covenant with us we must be faithfull in keeping Covenant with God that we may be as our duty is like unto our heavenly Father and thereby may approve our selves to be the children of God 4. For this end we enter into Covenant with God at Baptism renew it at the Lords Supper and some other times that we might keep his Statues Judgements and Commandments God requires this and we use it chiefly as a help to further us in our Obedience to God we are all naturally very backward and apt to take any occasion to neglect our duty of obedience to God and therfore do promise and bind our selves thereby to help and further us in our duty as we use to binde men to bring them into bond who are apt to break promise If we be to deal with an unfaithfull person that is like to play fast and loose to deny his promise and flie from his word we use to get him into bonds and then we think all is sure enough 5. Breach of Covenant God accounts a great sinne and will severely punish it therefore we should keep Covenant with God 1. He accounts breach of Covenant a great sin though it be of covenant only betwixt man and man and reckoneth it among the great sins of the Gentiles That they were Covenant-breakers Rom. 1.31 Psal 55.20 2 Tim. 3.3 what is it then to break Covenant with God 2. And as God accounts it a great sin so he will severely punish it So he threatned Gen. 17.14 The uncircumcised man childe whose flesh in his forehead is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people mark the reason He hath broken my Covenant saith God Levit. 26.15 16 17. Saith God If ye shall despise my Statutes so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I will even appoint over you terrour consumption and the burning Ague And I will set my face against you and ye shall he slain by your enemies Ezek. 17.15 16. saith God of Zedekiah Shall he prosper Shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God Surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him king whose Oath he despised and whose Covenant be beake even with him in the midst of Babylon shall he die A grievous curse is threatned against this sin Jer. 11.2 3. Hear ye the words of this Covenant Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant yea many curses Deut. 29.20 21-25 The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord