w ,*,*<*•* **""'*"' *«.^,^ PRINCETON, N. J. BX 9081 .C67 1895 The Covenants and the covenanters Shelf. ^:, 'V ' :m^.^ ^^m::. The Covenants and the Covenanters. The Grassmarket, Edinburgh. THE COVENANTS THE COVENANTERS COVENANTS, SERMONS, AND DOCUMENTS OF THE COVENANTED REFORMATION. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS, INTRODUCTION ON THE NATIONAL COVENANTS BY Rev. JAMES KERR, D.D., GLASGOW EDINBURGH : R. W. HUNTER, GEORGE IV. BRIDGE. PREFATORY NOTE. The Covenants, Sermons, and Papers in this volume carry the readers back to some of the brightest periods of Scottish history. They mark important events in that great struggle by which these three kingdoms were emancipated from the despotisms of Pope, Prince, and Prelate, and an inheritance of liberty secured for these Islands of the Sea. The whole achievements of the heroes of the battlefields are comprehended under that phrase of Reformers and Martyrs, "The Covenanted Work of Reformation." The attainments of those stirring times were bound together by the Covenants, as by rings of gold. The Sermons here were the product of the ripe thought of the main actors in the various scenes — men of piety, learning, and renown. Hence, the nature, objects, and benefits of personal and national Covenanting are exhibited in a manner fitted to attract to that ordinance the minds and hearts of men. The readers can well believe the statement of Livingstone, who was present at several ceremonies of covenant-renovation : "I never saw such motions from the Spirit of God. I have seen more than a thousand persons all at once lifting up their hands, and 6 PREFACE. the tears falling down from their eyes." In the presence of the defences of the Covenants as deeds, by these preachers, the baseless aspersions of novelists and theologues fade out into oblivion. True Christians must, as they ponder these productions, be convinced that the Covenanters were men of intense faith and seraphic fervour, and their own hearts will burn as they catch the heavenly flame. Members of the Church of Christ will be stirred to nobler efforts for the Kingdom of their Lord as they meditate on the heroism of those who were the " chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof;" and they will behold with wonder that "to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the face of the serpent." And Statesmen will discover how Princes, Parliaments, and Peoples united in the hearty surrender of themselves to the Prince of the kings and kingdoms of the earth ; and will be aroused to promote that policy of Christian Statesmanship which, illustrating the purpose and will of God, the Father, shall liberate Parliaments and nations from the bonds of false religions, and assert for them those liberties and honours which spring from the enthronement of the Son of Man, as King of kings and Lord of lords. This volume of documents of olden times is sent out on a mission of Revival of Religion, personal and national, in the present times. It would do a noble work if it helped to humble classes and masses, and led them to return as one man to that God in covenant from PREFACE. 7 Whom all have gone so far away. A natioiial movement, in penitence and faith, for the repeal of the Acts Rescissory' and the recognition of the National Covenants would be as life from the dead throughout the British Empire. The people and rulers of these dominions shall yet behold the brilliancy of the Redeemer's crovvns ; and shall, by universal consent, exalt Him who rules in imperial majesty over the entire universe of God. For, "The seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ." Glasgow, December^ ^Sgj. ERRATA. Page 29, line 8, instead of " 1745," read 1712. Page 29, line 10, instead of "Crawfordjohn,'' 7'ead Auchensaugh, near Douglas. CONTENTS. Prefatory Note, The National Covenants— /«^;W/^t//, but Christ more. If this position were assumed by larger numbers throughout the land, who knoweth whether they would "not come to the kingdom for such a time as this ? " " Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with Thee, that frameth mischief by a law?" "Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord." *' Hope thou not, then, earth's alliance, Take thy stand behind the cross ; Fear, lest by nnblest compliance, Thou transmute thy gold to dross. Stedfast in thy meek endurance, Prophesy in sackcloth on ; Hast thou not the pledged assurance, Kings one day shall kiss the Son." The popular acceptance of these doctrines and principles by the State and the Churches at present, would imply a vast mental upheaval — a vast moral revolution. But the best hopes and wishes for the nation at large are that it will come and come soon, and the present evils, however great, must not be allowed to produce a pessimistic tone. Very hopeless seemed the prospects before the first Reformation, but that Reformation came. Very hopeless seemed the INTRODUCTION. 35 prospects before the second Reformation, but that Refor- mation came, ^nd however dark the prospects now b-fore a third Reformation, that Reformation shall come ! The world is nearing the last stage of its history, as pointed out by Daniel in the dream of the monarch of Babylon, prior to the overwhelming and triumphant progress of the stone-kingdom, cut out of the mountain. That immense image of Nebuchadnezzar, in its gold and silver and brass aiid iron, represented those four vast monarchies which, in their successive periods, swayed the government of the world. But in the fact that the image was in the form of a man, the spirit that actuated these four empires of earth is strikingly emphasized — the spirit of the idolatry of humanity. They were all embodiments of the man-will : Babels for the incarnation of heaven-daring human aspirations, and so carried within even their colossal proportions the elements of confusion and death. A similar lust of humanity fur supremacy characterises those Kingdoms, represented by the ten toes of the image, into which the fourth Roman monarchy parted. But soon now, therefore, must sound out the last blast of the seventh trumpet, when the idolatry of humanity in earth's kingdoms shall fall, and the spirit and will of Christ pervade and beautify all the institutions, ecclesiastical and imperial, of the world. Yes, the kingdom "not in hands" shall shatter yet all the usurped rights of the world-powers. There shall be a glorious reversal of the disaster in Edm. That old Adamic principle of a legislative sovereignty in man, which has con- vulsed the nations for six thousand years, shall be utterly renounced and crucified the world over. Ruin irreparable shall befall the entire empire of Satan, who shall be chained in his lake, as the pealing note of that trumpet of God shall swell over all the earth. The throne of God and the Lamb shall be erected by public consent as the unifying source and centre for people, churches, 36 THE NATIONAL COVENANTS. and empires. The whole world of humanity shall be redeemed from sin and its curse, be animated by one Spirit, and triumphant in one Lord. May not the true Christian, then, as he thinks of the idolatrous form in the dream of the monarch of Babylon, and looks in the watches of the night for ihe dawn, when Christ Jesus his Lord shall be honoured throughout the world, behold rising before his eyes in his dream another colossal figure; and its head is gold, and its breasts and arms gold, and its belly and thighs gold, and its legs and feet and toes gold ; yea all of it " is as the most fine gold ; " and the head representing the powers of the great American Continents; the breast and arms, Asia; the belly and thighs, Africa ; the legs and feet, Europe, and the toes the Isles of the Sea — the British Isles with the rest. And the form of the great earth-filling figure is that of Jesus of Nazareth, the Man of Jehovah's right hand. i\nd lo ! "I saw heaven opened, and I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth." " Come, then, and, added to Thy many crowns, Receive yet one, the crown of all the earth. Thou who alone art worthy ! It was Thine By ancient covenant, ere nature's birth ; And Thou hast made it Thine by purchase since And overpaid its value with Thy blood. Thy saints proclaim Thee King ! And in their hearts Thy title is engraven with a pen Dipp'd in the fountain of eternal love.'' THE NATIONAL COVENANT. Gkeyfriars Churchyaku, Edinbukgi THE NATIONAL COVENANT OR, THE CONFESSION OF FAITH. Subscribed atfirrt by the King s Majesty and his household, in the year of God 1580 ; thereafter by persons of all ranks in the year of God 1 58 1, by Ordinance of the Lords of Secret Council^ and Acts of the General Assembly ; subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year of God 1590. Secondly: And with Ordinance of the Lords of Secret Council^ and Acts of General Assevibly, subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year of God 1590. Thirdly: And xaith Ordinance of Council, at the desire of the General Assembly ; with their general bond for ttiaintenance of the true religion, and of the Kings Majesty ; and now subscribed in the year of God 1638, by tis, Noblemen, Baronets, Gentlemen, Burgesses, Ministers, and Commons under subscribed ; and, together with a resohttion and promise, for the causes after expressed, to maintain the true teligion and King^s Majesty, according to the Conjession aforesaid, and the Acti of Parliament, the so much of which folloiveth :-- We all and every one of us under-written, protest, That, after long and due examination of our own consciences in matters of true and false religion, we are now thoroughly resolved in the truth by the Spirit and Word of God : and therefore we believe with our hearts, confess with our mouths, subscribe with our hands, and constantly affirm, before God and the whole world, that this only is the true Christian faith and religion, pleasing God, and bringing salvation to man, which now is, by the mercy of God, revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed evangel ; and is received, believed, and defended by many and sundry notable kirks and realms, but chiefly by the Kirk 4© THE NATIONAL COVENANT. of Scotland, the King's Majesty, and three estates of this realm, as God's eternal truth, and only ground of our salvation ; as more particularly is expressed in the Confession of our Faith, established and publicly confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments, and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the King's Majesty, and whole body of this realm both in burgh and land. To the which Confession and Form of Religion we willingly agree in our conscience in all points, as unto God's undoubted truth and verity, grounded only upon His written Word. And therefore we abhor and detest all contrary religion and doctrine ; but chiefly all kind of Papistry in general and particular heads, even as they are now damned and confuted by the Word of God and Kirk of Scotland. But, in special, we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God, upon the Kirk, the civil magistrate, and consciences of men ; all his tyrannous laws made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty ; his erroneous doctrine against the sufficiency' of the written Word, the perfection of the law, the office of Christ, and His blessed evangel ; his corrupted doctrine concerning original sin, our natural imbility and rebellion to God's law, our justification by faith only, our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the law; the nature, number, and use of the holy sacraments ; his five bastard sacraments, with all his rites, ceremonies, and false doctrine, added to the ministration of the true sacraments without the word of God; his cruel judgment against infants departing without the sacrament ; his absolute necessity of baptism ; his blasphemous opinion of transub- stantiation, or real presence of Christ's body in the elements, and receiving of the same by the wicked, or bodies of men ; his dispensations with solemn oaths, perjuries, and degrees of marriage forbidden in the A\"ord ; his cruelty against the innocent divorced ; his devilish mass ; his blasphemous priesthood ; his profane sacrifice for sins of the dead and THE NATIONAL COVENANT. 4 1 the quick ; his canonization of men ; caUing upon angels or saints departed, worshipping of imagery, reHcs, and crosses ; dedicating of kirks, altars, days ; vows to creatures ; his purgatory, prayers for the dead ; praying or speaking in a strange language, with his processions, and blasphemous litany, and multitude of advocates or mediators; his manifold orders, auricular confession ; his desperate and uncertain repentance ; his general and doubtsome faith ; his satis- factions of men for their sins ; his justification by works, opus operatum^ works of supererogation, merits, pardons, peregrinations, and stations ; his holy water, baptizing of bells, conjuring of spirits, crossing, sayning, anointing, conjuring, hallowing of God's good creatures, with the super- stitious opinion joined therewith ; his worldly monarchy, and wicked hierarchy ; his three solemn vows, with all his shavellings of sundry sorts ; his erroneous and bloody decrees made at Trent, with all the subscribers or approvers of that cruel and bloody band, conjured against the Kirk of God. And finally, we detest all his vain allegories, rites, signs, and traditions brought in the Kirk, without or against the word of God, and doctrine of this true reformed Kirk ; to the which we join ourselves willingly, in doctrine, faith, religion, discipline, and use of the holy sacraments, as lively members of the same in Christ our head : promising and swearings by the great name of the LORD our GOD, that we shall continue in the obedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Kirk, and shall defend the same, according to our vocation and power, all the days of our lives ; under the pains contained in the law, and danger both of body and soul in the day of God's fearful judgment. And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan, and that Roman Antichrist, to promise, swear, subscribe, and for a time use the holy sacraments in the Kirk deceitfully, against their own conscience ; minding hereby, first, under the external cloak of religion, to corrupt and subvert 42 THE NATIONAL COVENANT. secretly God's true religion within the Kirk ; and afterward, when time may serve, to become open enemies and persecutors of the same, under vain hope of the Pope's dispensation, devised against the Word of God, to his greater confusion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Jesus : we therefore, willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy, and of such double dealing with God and His Kirk, protest, and call the Searcher of all hearts for witness, that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession, promise, oath, and subscrip- tion : so that we are not moved with any worldly respect, but are persuaded only in our conscience, through the knowledge and love of God's true religion imprinted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, as we shall answer to Him in the day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. And because we perceive that the quietness and stability of our religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the King's Majesty, as upon a comfortable instrument of God's mercy granted to this country, for the maintaining of His Kirk and ministration of justice amongst us ; we protest and promise with our hearts, under the same oath, hand-writ, and pains, that we shall defend His person and authority with our goods, bodies, and lives, in the defence of Christ His evangel, liberties of our country, ministration of justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within this realm or without, as we desire our God to be a strong and merciful defender to us in the day of our death, and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ; to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory eternally. Amen. LiKEAS many Acts of Parliament, not only in general do abrogate, annul, and rescind all laws, statutes, acts, constitutions, canons civil or municipal, with all other ordinances, and practique penalties whatsoever, made in prejudice of the true religion, and professors thereof; or THE NATIONAL COVENANT. 43 of the true Kirk, discipline, jurisdiction, and freedom thereof; or in favours of idolatry and superstition, or of the Papistical kirk: As Act 3, Act 31, Pari, i : Act 23, Pari. 11; Act 114, Pari. 12, of King James VI. That Papistry and superstition may be utterly suppressed, according to the intention of the Acts of Parliament, repeated in the 5th Act, Pari. 20, King James VL And to that end they ordain all Papists and Priests to be punished with manifold civil and ecclesiastical pains, as adversaries to God's true religion preached, and by law established, within this realm, Act 24, Pari. 11, King James VI. ; as common enemies to all Christian govern- ment. Act 18, Pari. 16, King James VI. ; as rebellers and gainstanders of our Sovereign Lord's authority, Act 47, Pari. 3, King James VL ; and as idolaters. Act 104, Pari. 7, King James VI. But also in particular, by and attour the Confession of Faith, do abolish and condemn the Pope's authority and jurisdiction out of this land, and ordains the maintainers thereof to be punished. Act 2, Pari, i ; Act 51, Pari. 3; Act 106, Pari. 7; Act 114, Pari. 12, King James VI. : do condemn the Pope's erroneous doctrine, or any other erroneous doctrine repugnant to any of the articles of the true and Christian religion, publicly preached, and by law established in this realm ; and ordains the spreaders and makers of books or libels, or letters or writs of that nature to be punished, Act 46, Pari. 3 ; Act 106, Pari. 7 : Act 24, Pari. II, King James VL : do condemn all baptism conform to the Pope's kirk, and the idolatry of the mass ; and ordains all sayers, wilful hearers and concealers of the mass, the maintainers and resetters of the priests, Jesuits, trafficking Papists, to be punished without any exception or restriction. Act 5, Pari. I ; Act 120, Pari. 12; Act 164, Pari. 13; Act 193, Pari. 14; Act I, Pari. 19; Act 5, Pari. 20, King James VL : do condemn all erroneous books and writs containing erroneous doctrine against the religion presently professed, 44 THE NATIONAL COVENANT. or containing superstitious rites and ceremonies Papistical, whereby the people are greatly abused, and ordains the home-bringers of them to be punished, Act 25, Pari. 11, King James A^I. : do condemn the monuments and dregs of bygone idolatry, as going to crosses, observing the festival days of saints, and such other superstitious and Papistical rites, to the dishonour of God, contempt of true religion, and fostering of great error among the people ; and ordains the users of them to be punished for the second fault, as idolaters, Act 104, Pari. 7, King James VI. Likeas many Acts of Parliament are conceived for main- tenance of God's true and Christian religion, and the purity thereof, in doctrine and sacraments of the true Church of God, the liberty and freedom thereof, in her national, synodal assemblies, presbyteries, sessions, policy, discipline, and jurisdiction thereof; as that purity of religion, and liberty of the Church was used, professed, exercised, preached, and confessed, according to the reformation of religion in this realm : As for instance, the 99th Act, Pari. 7 ; Act 25, Pari. II ; Act 114, Pari. 12; Act 160, Pari. 13, of King James VI., ratified by the 4th Act of King Charles. So that the 6th Act, Pari, i, and 68th Act, Pari. 6, of King James VI., in the year of God 1579, declare the ministers of the blessed evangel, whom God of His mercy had raised up, or hereafter should raise, agreeing with them that then lived, in doctrine and administration of the sacraments ; and the people that professed Christ, as He was then offered in the evangel, and doth communi- cate with the holy sacraments (as in the reformed kirks of this realm they were presently administrate) according to the Confession of Faith, to be the true and holy kirk of Christ Jesus within this realm. And decerns and declares all and sundry, who either gainsay the Word of the evangel received and approved as the heads of the Confession of Faith, professed in Parliament in the year THE NATIONAL COVENANT. 45 of God 1560, specified also in the first Parliament of King James VI., and ratified in this present Parliament, more particularly do express ; or that refuse the administration of the holy sacraments as they were then ministrated — to be no members of the said Kirk within this realm, and true religion presently professed, so long as they keep themselves so divided from the society of Christ's body. And the •subsequent Act 69, Pari. 6, of King James VI., declares, that there is no other face of kirk, nor other face of religion, than was presently at that time by the favour of God established within this realm : " Which therefore is ever styled God's true religion, Christ's true religion, the true and Christian religion, and a perfect religion ;" which, by manifold Acts of Parliament, all within this realm are bound to profess, to subscribe the articles thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recant all doctrine and errors repugnant to any of the said articles, Acts 4 and 9, Pari, i ; Acts 45, 46, 47, Pari. 3 ; Act 71, Pari. 6 ; Act 106, Pari. 7 ; Act 24, Pari. 11 ; Act 123, Pari. 12; Acts 194 and 197, Pari. 14, of King James VI. And all magistrates, sheriffs, ' ; he was minded to have visited them, he did not ; he foresaw they might, they would tax him of lightness, as either not minding, or not being master of his own determinations, and so consequently his ministry, and therein the gospel might be blemished: the fear of which struck his heart, the prevention of which moved his spirit, that both they might be satisfied and himself remain without blame. 4. A resolve, a purpose settled ; Daniel was fully resolved, he had laid this charge upon his heart, that he would not defile himself with the king's meat. 5. A tie or obligation, whereby the heart, otherwise shifty, is bound to the work intended, sometime by a single promise, sometime b)- an oath or vow, and sometime more publicly by a solemn covenant. And this last and highest degree is that which the prophet speaks, at least in this sense I take it. This is that engagement of soul, whereby a man prevents his starting aside: and this is that first phrase that was to be opened. Of the second ; " to approach unto Me." 164 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. This is the object, and this approachment is threefold : I. In his inward man. 2. In his outward man. 3. In both. I. In his inward man; in heart, by drawing close to God, enjoying a sensible and blessed communion with Him, which is comfortable in such a degree that, where it is felt, it needs no bidding to make an engagement. 2. In his outward man, in his person approaching to God in the practice of all duties commanded ; God in His ordinances is powerfully present, man in their use stands within this presence. 3. In both, in all his abilities approaching to Him in managing His holy cause ; and therefore holy, because His. God walks in the midst of His people's armies: when thy sons, O Zion, "are armed against thy sons," O Greece, "the Lord God is seen over them." These are those approachings of the saints to their God : the first is their happiness, the second their duty, the third their honour. It is a happy thing to enjoy God's comforts in soul ; it is our enjoined duty to obey Him in His ways, and it is an honour to be found standing for the way of righteousness. Of the third. The inquiry, " who is this ? " Scripture questions are of several uses, hold forth several senses ; here it seems to be an approbation of the action spoken of. Who is this ? What one is this, that so care- fully engageth his heart ? This is not ordinary among men, nor of an ordinary degree in man : few move, fewer engage themselves to move towards God. This approbation hath, I. Its foundation in a duty: I approve this engaging, and the man because he engageth. 2. Its direction from the subject, heart. The engagement of the outward man may have wrong principles : that it may be right, let the heart, soul, inward parts, all that is within us be engaged to bless His holy name. 3. Its limitation from the object, to approach unto me : to engage the heart to sin, to the creature, to vanity, is neither commendable, nor approv- SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 165 able ; but to close with God, to come to, stay with, and act for Him, this is that which the prophet, and God in the mouth of the prophet ever approves. And this brings us to, II. — The propounding of the point, and that in these words. God observes wdth the eye of approbation, such as engage and tie themselves to Him ; He looks with an approving eye upon this carefulness : for such an engagement of soul is, I. Needful. 2. Helpful; needful for the heart, helpful to our graces. The needfulness is evident. The heart is slow and subtile, backward and deceitful ; except it be drawn with the cords of such an engagement, it puts slowly forward ; and when thus drawn, it will fall quickly off. Days of desolation beget resolves, times of terror produce engage- ments, which the heart (the storm past) will wilily and wickedly seek to evade. David suspected this cozenage in himself, when he cries out. Oh ! I have many good thoughts, but a naughty heart ; many holy purposes, but a deceitful spirit : thou hast cause, as a Creator, not to believe the tender of my obedience, nor as a just God, the promise of submission ; but I call to Thy mercy to give assistance. ^' Be surety for Thy servant for good :" for the performance of all good I promise. And Hezekiah in his sickness was not without fear of this deceitfulness : " Oh Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me ; " I shall never keep my word, that word which my lips have spoken ; and I have none dare pass his word for me : "do thou, O Lord, undertake for me." 2. The helpfulness is undeniable ; a heart from this engagement may fetch renewed strength continually. This engagement is a buckler of defence to arm us against Satan's enticement, is armour of proof to withstand the world's inducement ; it makes us without fear or failing stand 1 66 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. upon our own ground, and renew our courage like the eagle. Job w^as probably sometimes seduced with such foolish persuasions, to courses not less foolish, but he yielded not : what helped him ? even his engagement : "I have made a covenant with mine eyes, how then shall I look on a maid ? " Constancy in good is well-pleasing to God ; "If any draw back. His soul hath no pleasure in them." What- soever then is needful for it, or helpful to it. He both prescribes and approves. O let us engage our hearts to this approachment, a duty enjoined, a sacrifice accepted. But there is one scripture that fully showeth the point, and the truth of it in all particulars. Consider then. Three things may seem necessary herein to be noted ; the act, the approbation, and the reason ; and here we have them all. 1. The act, engaging ; or the persons, the engagers of themselves. Thou hast avouched, set up God this day to be thy God, not only in thy conscience by the act of faith, but even by thy mouth thou hast uttered this, probably in some solemn league and covenant. " Thou hast made to say : " so much the Hebrew word imports. 2. The approbation ; and God answers thee accordingly, He hath avouched, set up thee to be His people; particularly to two privileges, i. To be His peculiar people, the people of His own proper possession, joined so high, united so near, that they are admitted to a participation of many heavenly privileges ; the actions of the one being com- municated to the other; man's prayer is called God's, "I will make them glad in the house of My prayer," God's people called man's, Moses's people, Moses's law : so in the law of God, and in his law, that is, the righteous man's law. 2. To keep His commands : this seems rather to be a duty than a prerogative, yet a prerogative it is for a Christian to be holy, obedient, righteous : both directly, and accidently. i. Directly; the scripture teacheth so. The fruit of a Christian's being made free from sin is unto SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 67 holiness. " If you will fear the Lord and serve Him " (these are Samuel's words to the people) " and not rebel : " what then? what shall we have? "Then shall you and your king continue to follow the Lord." Solomon, setting down the recompence of a righteous person, saith, his reward shall be double, in himself, and in his posterity ; in himself, " he shall walk on in his integrity," in his posterity, "they shall be blessed after him." 2. Accidently : hoHness is a privilege, as well as a duty ; it is a reward, a benefit to him who walks therein. It may, and oft doth daunt their persecutors, that otherwise would have taken away their lives. The heathens observe that the majestic presence of a prince hath dashed the boldness, and so prevented the execution of some villanous attempt by a base traitor against their persons : and Christians know that the power of holiness is able to dazzle the proudest spirits. Herod, saith the text, " feared John," and so a long while did him no hurt. And the emperor Adrian ceased his persecution against the Christians of his time, when he understood of their holiness of life. So true it is both ways, that the punishment of sin is sin, and the reward of the command is the command. Both these privileges are again repeated, and further are evidenced in the following verse; "Thou art His peculiar people, therefore will He make thee high above all nations, in praise, name and honour, of more esteem than any; and, thou keepest His commandments, and so He advanceth thee to be a holy people unto the Lord thy God : " all this evidenceth God's approbation of an engaging heart. 3. The reason and ground of God's approving this act, they are two. i. Because the matter or duties, to which by this bond the heart is tied, are such as God directly observes with an approving eye. The particulars are three here specified, and all elsewhere expressly subjected to this eye of God. isf. Thou obligest thyself to walk in His 106 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. ways, in the practice of all the duties of the second table ; and upon such as depart from evil, and do good, upon such righteous ones, the eyes of the Lord are fastened, not His omniscient eye, but His protecting, blessing eye, that eye the seeing whereof is of the same temper with the open ear following : " His eye is upon the righteous, and His ear open to their cry ;" that eye which stands in opposition to His face, which is against the wicked. 2d. And to observe His ordinances and judgments, reverently to practise all the duties of the first table to God, and to such also God casts His eye of respect : " The eye of the Lord is upon those that fear Him, and that hope in His mercy." 3^. And to hearken to the means of both, to hear His voice : "When I counsel thee and instruct thee in the way that thou shouldst go, Mine eye is upon thee, both to keep thee to it, and to bless thee in it." 2. Because this engagement is a means to accomplish His promise : because thou hast avouched God, God hath avouched thee, and will do as He hath said, and again, as He hath said ; the repetition whereof seems to argue contentedness in God, in that, by this avouchment, a way was opened for the accomplishment of His promise. " God is well pleased for His righteousness sake," delights, when He can evidence Himself to be righteous and just, for the law and words of His mouth He will magnify and make honourable in the faithfulness of their accomplishment. Mercy, the acts of mercy please Him. God finds in a righteous man rest of spirit, because by him He sends down a full influence of His favour upon the world. " If the world knew (say some Hebrew doctors,) of what worth a righteous man was, they would hedge him about with pearls." His life is beneficial to all, even in some sort to God Himself; for by him mercy is shewn to the world : his death therefore is of great consequence ; a greater affliction than those curses mentioned ; " I will make thy plagues wonderful ; thy heavens shall be brass. SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 69 they shall distil no dew nor rain to water the earth ; but I will do a marvellous thing, a marvellous and strange, a good man, a wise man shall be taken away ; and I can send no more blessings upon you :" There remains not a heart engaged, to whom I delight to approach ; whiles such were, mine eye was satisfied with seeing good, my heart witli doing good ; now the one is removed, the other stopped. O where is he that engageth his heart to approach to his God! 111.-7%^ exami7iing of the Duty. This engagement being thus approved, and therefore to be entered on ; let us a little examine the duty, and mind two things. I. What particulars do engage us, by what acts or thoughts doth the heart become engaged ? And, 2. What hinders this engagement, and stops our entrance thereupon ? I. Several and many ways doth the heart become engaged to God : no consideration can enter our hearts, no occurrent happen in our lives, but it offers reasons enforcing this duty. We are engaged to God by our being, by our receiving, by our doing : mind either, and acknowledge thy- self engaged. 1. Our being what we are, engageth us: \si. That we are creatures, and so not forgotten in the everlasting night of a not-being : that we are men, and not beasts ; that we are Christians, and not heathens ; all are engagements. 2d. But our being thus and thus ; men of gifts and parts : placed in such callings ; qualified with such endowments ; interested in such privileges : these are engagements indeed. 2. What we have. \st. Every thing we have received binds us ; all the acts of God's providence over us ; all the effects of God's goodness to us : health, food, callings, trades, friends, families, clothes, the service of the creatures ; sun, rain, fruits of the earth : all, all these are bonds. 2d. But especially, our more peculiar favours ; inward experience 170 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. of His love, and fruition of soul-communion with Him : Oh, who would not be engaged for this ! 3. What we do, even our own actions become our obligations ; and that which comes from us binds us. 1st. Our feeling prayers. Who dare practise what he prays against ? A prayer against the power of sin, obliges to walk in the power of that prayer; neither will any lightly omit what but late as an evil he hath confessed to God. 2d. But especially (which is our present work) our solemn and serious vows, protestations, promises ; our covenant in baptism, our particular covenants entered into, upon the apprehension of some approaching calamity, upon a day of humiliation, at a piercing sermon, or soul-searching prayer before a sacrament, or the like. If we have spoken with our lips, we cannot go back, we are engaged. H. As for such things that may hinder, we should both note and avoid, i. Ignorance: "If thou knewest the gift of God," saith Christ to the Samaritan woman : want of praying comes from want of knowing. " Have you received the Holy Ghost ? " was Paul's question, but the reply was, that could not be ; we " have not so much as heard, whether there be a Holy Ghost, or no." Have you engaged your souls in a solemn league ? Let this be our querry, and the answer will be. We have not so much as heard, whether there be such a duty, or no. Ignorance hinders this bond. 2. Wretched profaneness, which slights and sets at nought all duties, ordinary, extraordinary ; such mind sin, and the fulfilling thereof ; and bind themselves to mischief with cords of vanity ; whilst in the mean time they are contented to sit loose from God. 3. Wicked policy, both to avoid the taking, and to evade the keeping : scruples of conscience shall be pretended by such as know not what conscience means. Scripture shal be alleged, by such as are little versed therein ; this sentence shall be thus explained : this releasement shall be thus pretended : all is but seemingly SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 17I to Stop the mouth of conscience, that saith, they must both make and pay vows unto God. Yet the wilfully ignorant will neglect it ; the wretchedly profane will contemn it ; the wickedly politic will avoid it ; so the heart shall be left to its own swing, open to all corruption that breaks in like a flood. For the prevention whereof, let us come on to IV. — Eticouragements to the practice. The point thus propounded, and in several particulars described, wherein and whereby the soul may be engaged ; there is nothing remaining, but the practice of it, and that is yours. Up then, and be doing ; disoblige yourselves, and be no longer servants to the world, to sin, to obey either in the lusts thereof; but be ye bound to serve righteousness, and the God of righteousness; for His service is perfect freedom. In this encouragement to this work, that I might do as much as I can, in this little time granted, and gained for preparation and delivery ; I would advise, exhort, resolve, and so prevent irreverence, backwardness, and doubting ; that neither the ignorant may profane, nor the refractory contemn, nor the scrupulous question this holy ordinance of God, as unholy needless, ambiguous. Let this encourage- ment then be received in words: i. Cautionary. 2. Hortatory. 3. Satisfactory. I. Cautionary. — Let this great work be done judiciously, cautiously, and as an ordinance of God. Take we heed therefore, i. To the manner. 2. To the matter. 3. To the consequence. I. To the manner. See that it be done ; i. Cheerfully. 2. Religiously. First., Cheerfully and willingly ; for so did the people of Israel in their covenanting with God: "They swore unto the Lord with a loud voice, with shoutings, and trumpets, and music, and they rejoiced because of the oath." God loves a cheerful giver. His heart is toward those that 172 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. willingly offer themselves to the work of the Lord. And here, let me not conceal the mercy of the Lord to us, in the work now in hand ; for why should not the Lord have the glory of all His favours ? God hath directed our hearts to this duty, cheered up our affections to this engagement. Who almost sees not His hand in all this ? This cheerfulness and forwardness I now call for, I did, I do, I hope, I shall see. I St. I did see. Which of us, brethren, hath not his heart yet rejoicing, but even to think upon this work, this last Monday in this place ? Here was cheerfulness : who was not glad to see it ? Who was not encouraged to it ? Here was a willing people freely offering themselves to be bound to the Lord. Here was rejoicing; i. Li the performance : The like duty was never seen in our days within this land. It was, I am persuaded, the very birth-day of this kingdom, born anew to comfort and success ; our hearts were then so elevated, they are not settled yet. 2. For the perfor- mance of such a duty, in such a manner, by such persons. You might here have seen the Hon. House of Commons, unanimously[^with hearts and hands lifted up to the heavens, swearing to the Most High God. Here might you have seen our dear brethren, the noble and learned Commissioners of Scotland, willingly coming into this covenant of truth, as the representatives of, and a pledge for the whole kingdom. Here might you have seen the grave and reverend Assembly of Divines, forwardly countenancing others, willingly sub- mitting^them selves to this bond of the Lord. What I then saw, and now rehearse, most of you can attest. Ask your fathers, consult with the aged of our times, whether ever such a thing were done in their days, or in the days of their fathers before them. 2d, I do see ; and believe the like now: I have ground to be persuaded, that you also come with alacrity to this service, i. The order for the taking, honours you with this, SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. I 73 that you were desirous of yourselves, without compulsion, to take this upon you : blessed therefore be you of the Lord, and blessed be the Lord for you. 2. The fulness of this present assembly, called only for this end, for this duty. The nature of your persons. Nobles, knights, gentlemen, submit themselves to the yoke of the Lord. Colonels, captains, officers in the army, soldiers ; even these also stand not off from, but close to, and for this work in hand. Those of the Scots nation within this city, by their willing- ness, do give a check to this cavil raised by some, who have nothing else to say, yet say this, perhaps the kingdom of Scotland will not take it. We can instance in none, none that I know here. The ministers of the Lord, that have refuged themselves to this little sanctuary, both increase and honour the number of them that swear, their own callings, and themselves. All these, as they have forwardly offered, so doubtless will earnestly repair, in their lot, the breaches made in the Lord's house. Here is cheerfulness. 3d, I hope, I shall see and hear, the next Lord's day, or the next convenient time, all our people readily coming into this bond ; that so, both English and Scots, parliament and assembly, nobility and city, may all rejoice together. Second^ Religiously : godly works must be done in a godly manner, that the act done for God's glory may be sanctified with God's presence. With what serious humilia- tion, and hearty prayers did Nehemiah begin this duty? What a number of able men did Josiah collect together? And how reverently did they read in the Scriptures, and speak of the nature of the covenant ? Both Nehemiah] by praying, and Josiah by reading, desired in this holy^business to approve themselves followers of holiness in the sight'of God. And at the last taking in this place, who was not touched with that feeling prayer, made by that man of God*; that godly exhortation, which followed from another! ; * Mr. White. t Mr. Xye. 174 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. that pithy relation b)^ that man of name* ; that soul-affecting thanksgiving, wherewith a godly doctor closed the dayt? and, that no less piety and love of God might appear in you, after you resolved upon the work ; you desired that the ordinance might be sanctified to you by the word of God and prayer ; you moved me to this employment, and got it ordered accordingly : and now, I doubt not, but in the action, you will do it with such reverence of God's majesty, such awfulness of heart, that in lifting up your hands to the most high God, He may be pleased to accept the sacrifice, and make it comfortable. Thus to the manner. II. To the matter. For the matter, that it be lawfully warranted by the AA^ord of God. To examine these particu- larly, in all and several parts thereof, were the work of a volume, not of one sermon ; that will be done by others : but to do something, and what we may for this time ; it is not difficult to parallel from Scripture this covenant in all the parts of it. The lawfulness of covenanting, I suppose not questionable, as a furtherance and help to a spiritual progress : we find it oft used : the New Testament affords but rare instances, the church then in its infancy having little occasion, and as little need of such combining, fasting and days of prayer, which are of the same nature, we find often ; and the angel " lift up his hand, (a covenanting gesture) and swore by Him that liveth," (a covenanting act,) but the Old Testament is full. Take then this as granted, and come to the particular materials, and in every part, for every article, we can find an instance. The articles in this covenant are six : the preamble sets forth, i. The occasion ; their aim at God's glory, their enemies aim at their ruin. 2. The pattern ; the commendable practice of those king- doms, and the example of churches in all ages. The close containeth their resolution against all impediments * Mr. Henderson. f Dr. Gouge. SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 175 that may either stop the taking, or disable the keeping of this league, their own sins. The body of the covenant contains the articles ; the lawfulness of which seems thus to be warranted. The first is the reformation of the false, and the preserva- tion of the true worship of (xod, and the uniting of all the kingdoms in that truth thus reformed. Such a covenant took Asa, and his people. The first is for the reforma- tion of religion decayed. He purged away all the dross, and removed all the defects. He repaired the altar of the Lord, the main part of their ceremonial covenant. Then for the uniting of the kingdoms in the embracing of this truth. Asa gathered all Judah and Benjamin, this was his own people, the subjects of one kingdom ; and with them the strangers, that is, the inhabitants of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, these were the people of another land. So here are the persons covenanting, the matter covenanted to. The persons, the subjects, two several kingdoms ; the matter, reformation, and to seek the God of their fathers ; to this they all swear, like as the inhabitants of England, Scotland and Ireland, meet all in one duty, even a covenant, and that to one end, to seek and serve God in the purity of His ways, after the purity of His will ; to this, as Asa and his people, we swear. The second is the extirpation of idolatry and wickedness, and all things contrary to truth, not according to godliness, the proper and perpetual matter of all covenants. So did Asa, so did Joash, so did Josiah, so did Nehemiah. i. Asa took away all abominations. He was impartial, sparing neither sin, place, nor person : not sin, he removed all abominations ; not place, from all places, towns of his inheritance, and of his conquest : not person, he deposed his mother, or rather grandmother from her state for her idolatry. 2. Joash, or his covenanters. Indeed the people of the land, (for such usually are most zealous) they 176 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. ruined the altars, house and all. They broke down all the monuments of idolatry, all to pieces, thoroughly, to some purpose, priest and all. They slew Matthan priest of Baal with the sword. 3. Josiah purged the whole kingdom : and Nehemiah with zeal, extirpated the strange wives Here is a covenant that rooted out idolatry, popery, the Baalistical prelate Matthan, and all his prelatical faction the Chemarim, and all this, for this end, that the Lord might be one, and His name one. The third is, the preservation of the liberties of the king- dom and the king, for matters merely civil. Such was that covenant that Jehoiada established, after their engagements for spirituals to God. He made a covenant between the king and people, that he should preserve their liberties, they his authority, and both each other mutually. The fourth, for the discovery and punishment of malig- nants, that increase or continue our division. Without a covenant such a discovery did Mordecai make of Bigthan and Teresh, the king's eunuchs. Such a discovery made the Jews of Sanballat, and his fellows to Nehemiah. Josiah was not without his informers. But with a covenant was the punishment of such varlets settled. AVhosoever would not seek the Lord God of their fathers, should be slain without sparing, be he whom he would be, small or great, man or woman. For why should not every one value the public above the private, the common good before his own ? The fifth, the preservation of the union, and of the pacifica- tion between the two kingdoms. This is the matter of all civil leagues. Such a league made Isaac with Abimelech, Jacob with Laban, David with Hiram. But chiefly such a pacification doth God promise to make between Israel and Judah. They should both live under one king, so do the English and Scots : and both dwell in one land, so do the English and Scots : they shall have the same SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 177 ministry and religion ; so do labour the English and Scots : and a pacification will Ciod make between them, and that by covenant, and such a covenant, as should never be forgotten or broken ; such a thing are we doing now, and then God's sanctuary shall be placed among us, the sanctuary of His presence, service, protection, which is our expectation and our hope. Lastly, The firm adhering to this covenant, and con- tinuance in the same notwithstanding all opposition, contradiction, dissuasion to the contrary whatsoever. All the people stood to the covenant. This was Josiah's care not only for himself, but for his people; ''He made all that were found in Judah and Benjamin to stand to it ; so all his days they turned not back from the Lord God of their Fathers." This is the covenant, and this is a general view of the general matter ; this is according to the aim of those that made it, take it, swear to it. Who but an atheist can refuse the first ? who but a papist the second ? who but an oppressor, or a rebel, the third? who but the guilty, the fourth? who but men of fortune, desperate cavaliers, the fifth ? who but light and empty men, unstable as water, the sixth ? In a word, the duty is such, that God hath ordained ; the matter is such, as God approveth ; the taking such, as God observeth ; and the consequences such, as God hath promised. And in them stands my third caution, to which I now come. HL To the consequences. For the consequences, and issues that do or must follow upon the taking, be also cautelous; take heed that after this heart-engagement to God, none start back like a broken bow. See that you neither, i. Falsify the oath ; or, 2. Profane the oath. L Do not falsify the oath, making the actions of the outward man contrary to this action of the heart. An oath is one of the two immutable things, wherein it is impossible that God should lie; not fitting, that man should. The M lyo THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. people's forementioned example teaches constancy, they stood to it. The covenants ordinary epithet [everlasting] implies continuance: neither can God, nor should man play the children, say and unsay. All our covenants in Him should be yea ; not yea, and nay. If we prove loose, we prove false, and lie unto God that made us. Take heed to your covenant. This stone, these walls, these pillars, these seats shall witness against you, that ye denied Him : to falsify the engagement, is to deny our God ; His power. His revenging justice. His word. His presence, and the like ; if you wilfully falsify this oath wherewith you are bound, as much as in you lies, you make God any thing but a God. Keep truth and fidelity for ever. n. Do not profane it by a slight esteem, by an irreverent taking, by an unholy life. Firsts By a slight esteem, as a matter of no moment. Can that be a trifle, which is the fruit of the judicious consulta- tions of the agents of both kingdoms, as the only means to perpetuate the union ? Can that be a trifle, which was produced by such, who had merely the glory of God before their eyes as conducing much thereto ? Can that be a trifle, which is published as the main and sole preventive of all the bloody plots of God's enemies against the truth ? Can that be a trifle, which is now cleaved to as a means more effectual, and a degree above supplications, remonstrances, protestations, to preserve ourselves, and our religion ? All this and more the preamble speaks. Second^ By irreverent taking. It was resolved on after mature deliberation. It is a lifting up of the hand to the most high God, and a swearing by His name, and God's name must not be taken in vain : such will God not hold guiltless. But of this before. Thirds By an unholy life. Such a thing would mar all we have done ; though defiled with former sins, yet now sin no more : our covenant forbids it : our state now stands thus. SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 79 Either by our sins we shall make a breach into our covenant, or by our covenant make a breach from our sins. In the close of the covenant, we resolve on the endeavour that this covenant may have its desired fruit. We desire to be humbled for our own sins, the land's sins, undervaluing the gospel, neglecting the power, and purity of it, no endeavour to receive Christ into our hearts, no care to walk worthy of Him in our lives. Such and the like sins a godly covenanter must shun, lest he profane it. Let us then prize it as an effectual means of good, take it with a reverend fear of God, honour it in holiness of life for ever. Let us both verify it, and sanctify it by continuing to stand in it, by endeavouring to live by it to God's glory, that this taken covenant may be for the name, the honour, the praise of the great Jehovah for ever. II. Hortatory. These cautions being observed ; come all, and let us enter into an everlasting covenant with the Lord ; come on, and let us engage our hearts unto our God : we have a propensity to keep off; let a covenant keep us close : our hearts would be wandering ; let a covenant bind them. Will you trust yourselves without a tie? Do you know yourselves ? Come to this work, with a heart, with a heart lifted up, as well as a hand, as high as a hand ; " Let us lift up our hearts to our hands ;" let the ardency of our affection raise up our spirit to meet the Lord, to whom we adjoin ourselves for ever. To you I cry, to whom the order speaks, to every one of you I call, come engage your hearts. First, Nobles, both greater and lesser, think not the duty below you, too mean for you. There is but one way to heaven for all. Scorn not to join with inferiors in this work. In Christ there is neither male nor female, no respect of persons. The same way that the soul of the poorest is refreshed, is the soul of the richest. Poor men pray, and princes must pray ; common men humble their souls, and repent, and crowned kings must do so too. The l8o THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. people of God, they walk aright, and all men, great and small, must follow them alike : the eye of every ordinary man must be towards the Lord. So as the tribes of Israel are, and the same way must Tyre and Sidon look, though they be very wise. No largeness of parts, greatness of place, eminency in gifts, of wisdom, learning, wit, not amplitude of rule, nor any high thoughts can exempt ; but he must subject himself to the condition and courses of the lowest sort. Heaven regards not the goodliness of the person, looks not as man looks ; for God regards the heart. Second, Soldiers, for you also are engagers. This says, you have a noble pattern ; but I hope I may say, you outwrite your copy. They came to John Baptist, and to the place, where he baptized. You come to the presence of God, and the place, where the heart is to be engaged. They came ta be directed what to do ; you to do what has been directed. Ride you on prosperously in this righteous truth. It lies mainly upon you to be holy, yea, more than upon others. Your adventures are more hazardous, your dangers more probable ; yea, your deaths perhaps more near. Therefore, I. You must remove from you wickedness, and wicked men. Wickedness from your hearts, wicked men from your armies. Let both your persons be holy, and your companies holy. God Himself commands the former, the prophet from God the latter. " When the host goeth forth, then, and then chiefly, thou shalt keep thee from every evil thing." When Judah's king marched out, assisted with Israelitish auxiliaries, which were idolaters ; let not (saith the prophet) " the men of Israel go with thee, for God is not with Israel : " if thou do, thou shalt not prosper. If there were no evil sin in your hearts, no evil man in your hosts, God would be with you, with a shout, even the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. And 2. Your success depends on God's presence. When thou seest multitudes of armies encircling thee, fear SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 151 not, for God is with thee, and God is with thee to save thee ; He walks with thee to fight for thee, and to prosper thee. We shall be cast back, yea, quite off, if God go not forth with our armies ; or, in our armies ; the word bears either : when God goes not in our armies, rules not in our hearts, lives, conversations, by holiness ; then He goes not forth with our armies by victory and success. 3. The want of godly agents, to manage a godly cause, a great lamentation. " Help, Lord, save, O God, for the godly fail, and the faithful cease from among men : " were there any such in being, they would bear rule with God, and be faithful for the saints, their persons and prayers would gain prevalency with God, their endeavours and constancy would show fidelity to the saints, and then in Judah, our land, would things go well : and as once Ezekiel of the scarcity of fit governors to rule, so we of fit men to fight, when corruption and looseness hath so possessed the hearts, and lives of our men of war, that there remains no sanctified and godly man to make a soldier; "This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation." 4. What ground have we to expect good ? When the sons of darkness go to cast out the prince of darkness, is this possible ? Can Satan cast out Satan ? It is a satisfactory answer, that we rest in, and stops the mouths of all not incurably blinded, when we hear of protestations, and promises to maintain the protestant religion and laws of the land ; when we see, that the effecting of the one is by the sword of papists, of the other, by the hand of delinquents ; except we should think, that man can (as God) work happy ends by contrary means. For we say, how can Satan cast out Satan ? So to ourselves, 'tis not very likely, that, if Satan keep the hold he hath of our souls, you should dispossess him of that strong hold he hath of our land. But you know so much, and therefore by engaging your heart this day to God you first endeavour 162 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. to expel Satan out of your own consciences ; and then shall you see clearly to drive him from our kingdom. Thirds Our brethren of Scotland, come you, and enter into this sure covenant. Lay the foundation of such an eternal league and peace, that the sun shall never see broken : all your countrymen, your kingdom are not here. Let your forwardness to this work tell us, what they would do, if they were. Some having nothing else to say, yet cannot withhold to question, whether the Scots will enter into it or no ? As the question is without any ground, so shall it be without any other answer for the present, than this ; all of that nation in town have been ready to this great work. Can you instance in any that have been backward to swear unto the Lord ? If in none, then put away prejudicate thoughts, and entertain in their place earnest desires, that this covenant now by both kingdoms entered into, may be like Ezekiel's sticks, which resembled the divided houses of Judah and Israel ; which, as the prophet held them, became one* in his hand. So this national covenant taken into the hand of God's merciful approbation, may this day, this year become one, and for ever remain one : so that (as Israel and Judah after this typical union in two sticks) England and Scotland after this religious union in one covenant, may for ever be one people in this island of Great Britain ; and that one king may continue king to them both ; and that henceforth they may no more be two peoples, nor divided into kingdoms ; that our religion be corrupted no more, as of late; but being cleansed, we may be the Lord's people, and He may be our God for ever : that Jesus Christ may bear rule, and we both may have one ministry, and enjoy that truth, which Christ, when He ascended up on high, gave ^ a. gift to men, during our days, and the days of our posterity; we, and our sons, and our sons' sons, from this time forth, and for evermore : that the Lord would plant His sanctuary SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 83 among us, and make these two people His dwelling-place continually : that this covenant may be a covenant of peace, and a covenant of truth, and a covenant for everlasting. And let all that desire it, daily pray for it, and now express it, and with cheerfulness of heart say. Amen, Amen. Fourth^ You, my brethren of the ministry, your hearts are to be engaged too, that you also may gain God by the engagement : be not you behind the very forwardest of the Lord's people ; you are not an inconsiderable party in this land. The joy and happiness of Israel was because of the Levites that waited, that were diligent in their duties, and diligently attended upon the Lord. " I will cause the horn of Israel to flourish, saith God : " by what means ? " I will give thee, Ezekiel, an open mouth." That God may give you a heart to teach knowledge, come, engage your hearts as a gift to God. O, saith Moses, " that all the Lord's people were prophets ! " O, say we, that all this land's people had prophets, but prophets of the Lord, that might feed them with wisdom and understanding, that they all might know the Lord, from the greatest to the least of them ! But ah ? Lord God, the eye of this kingdom is distempered, dim, and dark ; and then how great is this darkness ! our prophets have prophesied lies, and our priests have pleaded for Baal, and they have rejected the word of the Lord ; and what wisdom is in them ? Instead of standing for God, they have stood against Him ; and instead of being the best, they are become the basest : the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. If God should come, as once, to seek for a man, that should stand in the gap, and make up the breach ; among these He would find the fewest : in this respect our state may be like that which we find described. Christ comes to make a perfect description of His church, and so consequently, a com- fortable expression of Himself to His church : and whereas the eyes are the chiefest seat of beauty, and therefore 184 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. likeliest to be stood upon, he begins thus. " Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me." By eyes, understand the ministry; I come to speak comfortable things to My people, but set away the ministers out of My sight, for they have overcome My patience, and filled Me with fury: now these being removed, the description doth lovingly go on. Thy hair, thy young professors, are like a flock of goats ; thy teeth, thy civil officers, like a flock of sheep ; thy temples, thy ordinary and common Christians. All right but the eyes, the eyes I cannot endure. But let none of us provoke this complaint, nor hold off any longer from the Lord that invites. What say you ? Are you willing to this engagement ? Will you bind yourselves to the Lord ? Let me extend my speech to all, and dispatch the remains of this point, and my meaning thus : that you may be encouraged to engage, consider two things. Firsts The seasonableness. Secondly^ The success of such engagements. Firsts The seasonableness : there is a time for all purposes, and every word and action is beautiful in his own time. A public engagement is then seasonable, i. When a land hath been full of troubles : God by such troubles prepares a people for Him in this duty. " I will cause you to pass under the rod, and so I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." And we know, we feel God hath chastised us sore of late ; but in them He hath not given us over to death, that by them He might prepare us for Himself. When a land hath been full of corruptions, and a shrewd decay hath been in spirituals : by a covenant hath such a people recovered themselves, and regained their God. After the great apostasy by Athaliah, Jehoiada renewed their interest by a covenant. When Manasses and his son had suffered destruction from God, and advanced idolatry with or above God; Josiah purged all by a covenant. Our decays are evident, our corruptions destructive ; our SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 85 covenant therefore seasonable. Come, let us engage our hearts to approach to God. 3. ^^'hen the enemy begins to fall, and God begins to shine upon His own. Asa return- ing from a victory, called his land to a covenant. When Athaliah was slain, the league was sworn, by Joash and his kingdom. Since this motion of a covenant is come among us, God hath, as it were, begun to draw near, in the siege of Gloucester raised, in the success at Newbery, gained. God is worming out His and our adversaries, which He will do by little and little, till they be consumed. The covenant is seasonable. Second, The success. Come and see the works of the Lord, what wonders He hath wrought, when a people hath thus bound themselves to be His. i. A king injuriously put from his right by an usurping hand, after such a covenant was re-established, " He sat him down on the throne of the kings." 2. A land miserably put from its peace, after such a covenant, was re-settled, peace was re-obtained ; and that as a fruit of prayer, and so acknowledged, " Israel had sworn, and sought God ; God was found of them : and the Lord gave them rest round about." 3. Religion craftily, and wickedly put from its purity after such a covenant, was reformed; after such a reformation continued. The engagement being made, "all Josiah's days they returned not back from the Lord God of their fathers." 4. Rebels and rebellion, basely and bloodily backed and managed against the Lord and His ways, against His people and their practices ; after such a covenant, have been over- thrown and subdued, " I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." Then I will sever from among you the rebels ; I will chase them from their own land, and hinder that they shall not enter into the land of Israel. The Lord give this success concerning Ireland, sever out the rebels there from true subjects ; chase them from their own land ; and yet keep them from ever entering into our land, the land of the inheritance of the Lord. l86 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Now these successful effects of covenanting well minded, Firsts May hint to us a satisfactory reason, in case peace comes not presently. God hath some more adversaries to overthrow, to worm out ; His sword hath not eaten flesh enough ; neither are His arrows drunk with blood yet ; with the blood of such earthly men, whom He hath appointed to destruction. The hearts of the PhiUstines were so hardened, that they never sought after peace, " For it came of the Lord, to the intent that they might be utterly destroyed." Who knows, whether our peace hath been denied; our propositions cast out ; our treaties fruitless, for such an end as this ? It was of the Lord, who hath a purpose to destroy more. God lays afflictions on His people, and they continue upon them ; but in the mean space to quiet their spirits. He teacheth them out of His law, that these troubles must stay only "till a pit be digged for the wicked." Second, May encourage us to go on. You have now armour of proof, such armour as is not ordinary, armed with a covenant : Go, saith the angel to Gideon, in this thy might. Go (say I, to every one) in this thy might, the strength of this thy covenant, and the effect will be such, as is not ordinary. When the Philistines perceived that the Israelites had brought the ark of the covenant into the battle, they cried out, " Woe unto us ; for it hath not been so heretofore : woe unto us ; who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mighty gods ? " When your enemies shall perceive, that you come armed with the armour of a covenant with God, I hope they, struck with amazement, shall cry, "Woe unto us ; we were never so opposed before : woe unto us ; who shall deliver us out of the power of this mighty prevailer ? " If it will thus daunt, take it with you, be strong. Again, I say, Go in the might thereof, and God shall prosper thee for ever. HI. Satisfactory. — K.Q.Q.Q)X^\x\g to the condition of the person, such is the nature of the objection. One out SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 87 of the malignity of his spirit, cavils against the work ; another out of tenderness of conscience, scruples the taking. I shall briefly touch upon one or two, and wind up all in a few words. The queries I have met with, are such as these : two objections when I was designed to this service, were sent me in writing, which, when thoroughly viewed, I perceived nothing at all to concern our case, or covenant. Obj. I. Whether by any law, divine or human, may reformation of religion be brought in by arms? Ans. i. What is this at all to the covenant, where there is no mention of arms at all? 2. What is this to our present con- dition, where reforming by arms is not at all the question ? For if reformation of religion be the case of our affairs ; then either the parliament are they that do it, or the cavaliers : not the cavaliers, for they are on the defensive : witness all their declarations. Not the parliament, for then the cavaliers will be found fighters against religion, and resisters of God. 3. I answer negatively, it is not. The sword is not the means which God hath ordained to propagate the gospel: "Go and teach all nations;" not, go and subdue all nations, is our Master's precept. Obj. 2. Whether to swear to a government that shall be, or to swear not to dissent from such a future government, be not to swear upon an implicit faith? Ans. i. This is nothing to the covenant, neither can I see upon what ground any should raise such an impertinent scruple. 2. It is, he that so swears, swears upon an implicit faith : for one reason against the articles of the prelates was, that they forced us to swear to the homilies that shall be set out. But these things are extravagant Other objections by word of mouth have been propounded, some whereof I will here touch upon. Obj. I. One would make a stand at the phrase, [in our callings,] as if some politic mystery were therein involved, IQb THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. and would have it changed, [according to our caUings, or so far forth as they extend.] There is an identity in the phrase, an action enjoined to be done in such a place, every corner, as far as that place extends, is that place, and no other. All is one. Ofy'. How if the parliament should hereafter see a con- venience in prelacy for this kingdom, were not this oath then prejudicial, either to the parliament's liberty, or kingdom's felicity ? Ans. This objection supposes, J^irsf, That the most wicked antichristian government may be a lawful government in point of conscience. Second, That it is possible, that this prelatical govern- ment may be convenient for a state or kingdom. When as I. They have been burdensome in all ages; what opposites in England have they been to our kings, till their interests were changed? 2. All reformed religions in the world have expelled them, as incompatible with reformation. 3. They have set three kingdoms together by the ears, for the least, and worst of causes, which now lie weltering in their own blood, ready to expire. 4. Experience now shows, there is no inconvenience in their want ; either in Scotland, or in England. Odj. But what, if the exorbitances be purged away, may not I, notwithstanding my oath, admit of a regulated prelacy? A//s. i. We swear not against a government that is not. 2. We swear against the evils of every government ; and doubtless many materials of prelacy must of necessity be retained, as absolutely necessary. 3. Taking away the exorbitances, the remaining will be a new government, and no prelacy. O^J. For the discovery of all malignants, all that have been ; whether, if I have a friend, that hath been a malignant, and is now converted, am I bound to discover him ? Ans. This his malignity, was either before the covenant, or since ; if before, no. For then this league had no being, and a SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 89 11011-6715 can have no contrariety. If since, the discovery must be at the first appearance of maHgnity, whilst he is so. Obj. What if one make a party to uphold prelacy, whilst it stands by law, must I oppose him, or discover him by virtue of this oath ? Doth the oath bind me to oppose legal acts? Ans. i. Quer. Whether there be any particular law for prelacy? 2. Quer. Whether the making a party be legal? 3. Quer. Whether any thing, the extirpation of which is sworn by an ordinance of parliament, can be said to stand by law ? These are some queries I have met with. I heartily wish that the same tenderness of conscience in all things may be seen, which if not, it will hardly be called a scruple of tenderness, but a cavil of malignity. What now remains but only prayers, that the great God of our judgments and consciences, would so clear and satisfy our souls in these leagues and bonds, that without reluctancy we may all swear to God, and, having sworn, we may have a care to keep the oath inviolable; that as once Israel, so all England may rejoice because of the oath : and God may be estab- lished, and His kingdom settled ; that His presence may dwell among men, and His protection among the sons of men ; that He may be near in our covenanting, found in our prayers, and give us rest ; and that we being engaged, may live to Him, and not to others, henceforth and for ever. THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT: SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. BY JOSEPH CARYL.'' " And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it." — Nehemiah ix. 38. The general subject of this verse, is the special business of this day. A solemn engagement to the Lord, and among ourselves, in a sure covenant. Wherein we may consider these five things. First., The nature of a covenant, from the whole. Secondly., The grounds of a covenant, from those words, *' because of all this." Thirdly^ The property of a covenant, in that epithet. Sure — "we make a sure covenant." Fourthly., The parties entering into, and engaging them- selves in a covenant, expressed by their several degrees and functions. Princes, Levites, priests. And were these all ? All whom this verse specifies, and enow to bring in all the rest ? Where the governors and the teachers go before in * Mr. Caryl was a member of the Westminster Assembly. This Sermon was given at Westminster " at that Publick Convention (ordered by the Honourable House of Commons) for the taking of the Covenant, by all such of all Degrees as wilfully presented themselves, upon Friday, October 6, 1643." The House of Commons thanked Caryl for the Sermon and ordered its publication. SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. I9I an holy example, what honest heart will not follow ? And the next chapter shews us, all who were honest hearted, following this holy example, verse 28 : " And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands, unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding : They clave unto their brethren, their nobles, and entered into," Szc. Fifthly^ The outward acts by which they testified their inward sincere consent, and engaged themselves to continue faithful in that covenant : First, writing it. Second, sealing to it. Third, (in the tenth chapter, ver. 29.) " They entered into a curse." Fourth, " Into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe to do all the commandments of the Lord their God, w^ith the statutes and judgments. And that they would not give their daughters to the people of the land," &c : with divers many articles of that covenant, tending both to their ecclesiastical and civil reformation. I begin with the first point, the nature of a covenant. Concerning which, we may receive some light from the notation of the original words ; i. For a covenant. 2. For the making of a covenant The Hebrew Berith {a covenant) comes from Barak, which signifieth two things : First, To choose exactly, and judiciously. Second, To eat moderately, or sparingly. And both these significations of the root Bar ah, have an influence upon this derivative Berith, a covenant : the former of these intimating, if not enforcing, that a covenant is a work of sad and serious deliberation, for such are elective acts. Election is, or ought to be made, upon the rational turn of judgment, not upon a catch of fancy, or the hurry of our passions. Now, in a covenant, there is a double work of election : First, An election of the persons, between whom. Second, 192 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. An election of the conditions, or terms upon which the covenant is entered. As God's covenant people are His chosen people, so must ours. Some persons will not enter into covenant, though invited; and others, though they offer themselves, are not to be admitted. They who are not fit to build w4th us, are not fit to swear with us. Some offered their help to the Jews in the repair of the temple, " Let us build with you, for we seek your God." But this tender of their service was refused. "Ye have nothing to do with us, to build an house unto our God ; but we ourselves together will build." AVhat should we do with their hands in the work, whose hearts, we know, are not in the work ? The intendment of such enjoining, must be either to build their hay and stubble with our gold and silver, or else to pull down by night what they build by day, and secretly to undermine that noble fabric, which seemingly they endeavoured to set up. We find in this book of Nehemiah, that the persons combining in that covenant, were choice persons. The text of the tenth chapter, sets two marks of distinction upon them. Firsts "All they that separated themselves from the people of the lands, unto the law of God." Second, All " having knowledge, and having under- standing." Here are two qualifications, whereof one is spiritual, and the other is natural. The plain English of both may be this, " that fools and malignants, such as (in some measure) know not the cause, and such as have no love at all to the cause, should be outcasts from this covenant." Such sapless and rotten stuff will but weaken, if not corrupt this sacred band. The tenor of the covenant now tendered, speaks thus respecting the persons. "We noblemen, barons, knights, gentlemen, citizens, burgesses, ministers of the gospel, and commons, of all sorts, in the kingdom of England, Scotland, and Ireland." And doth not this indistinctly admit all, and all, of all sorts ? I answer, no. For the words following, SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 93 in the preface, shew expressly, that only they are called to it, who are of one reformed religion ; which shuts out all papists, till they return. And the articles pass them through a finer sieve, admitting only such as promise, yea, and swear, that through the grace of God, they will sincerely, really, and constantly endeavour the preservation of the reformed religion, against the common enemy in the one kingdom, the reformation and extirpation of what is amiss in the other two ; as also, in their own persons, families, and relations. They who do thus, are choice persons indeed, and they who swear to do thus, are (in charity and justice) to be reputed so, till their own acts and omissions falsify their oaths. Thus our covenant makes an equivalent, though not a formal or nominal election of the persons. Seco?id, There must be a choice of conditions in a covenant^ as the persons obliged, so the matter of the obligation must be distinct. This is so eminent in the covenant offered, that I may spare my pains in the clearing of it ; every man's pains in reading of it, cannot but satisfy him, that there are six national conditions about which we make solemn oath, and one personal, about which we make a most solemn profession and declaration, before God and the world. And all these are choice conditions : such as may well be held forth to be (as indeed they are) the results and issues of many prayers, and serious consultations, in both the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Conditions they are, in which holiness and wisdom, piety and poHcy, zeal for God in purging His church, and care for man in settling the commonwealth, appear to have had (in a due subordina- tion) their equal hand and share. Thus much of a covenant, from the force of the word in the first sense, leading us to the choice both of persons and conditions. Second^ The root signifies, to eat moderately, or so much as breaks our fast. And this refers also to the nature of a N 194 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. covenant, which is to draw men into a friendly and holy communion, and converse one with another. " David describes a familiar friend, in whom he trusted, to be one, that did eat of his bread." And the apostle Paul, when he would have a scandalous brother denied all fellowship in church-covenant, he charges it thus, " With such a one, no not to eat." Hence it was a custom upon the making up of covenants, for the parties covenanting, soberly to feast together. "When Isaac and Abimelech sware one to another, and made a covenant ; the sacred story tells us, that Isaac made them a feast, and they did eat and drink." A covenant is a binder of affection, to assure it, but it is a loosner of affection, to express it. And their hearts are most free to one another, which are most bound to one another. How unbecoming is it, that they who swear together, should be so strange as scarce to speak together ? That which unites, ought also to multiply our affections. Further, the w^ord hints so to converse together as not to sin together; for it signifies moderation in eating. As if it would teach us, that at a covenant-feast, or when covenanters feast, they should have more grace, than meat at their tables : or if (through the blessing of God) their meat be much, their temperance should be more. The covenant yields us much business, and calls to action : excess soils our gifts, and damps our spirits, fitting us for sleep, not for work. In and by this covenant, we (who were almost carried into spiritual and corporal slavery) are called to strive for the mastery. Let us therefore (as this word and the apostle's rule instruct us) " Be temperate in all things." Intemperate excessive eaters will be but moderate workers, especially in covenant-w^ork. A little will satisfy their consciences, who are given up to satisfy their carnal appetites. And he who makes his belly his god, will not make much of the glory of God. So much concerning the nature of a covenant, from the SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 95 original word ; for a covenant, signifying both to chuse, and to eat. We may take in some further light to discover the things from the original word, which we translate " make " — " Let us make a covenant." That word signifies properly to cut, to strike, or to slay. The reason hereof is given, because at the making of solemn covenants, beasts were killed and divided asunder, and the covenant-makers went between the parts. When God made that first grand covenant with Abraham, He said unto him, ''Take an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid all those pieces one against another." "Behold, a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp" (which latter was the token of God's presence for the deliverance of His people) passed between those pieces. In Jeremiah we have the hke ceremony in making a covenant, "They cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof." Upon this usage the phrase is grounded of cutting or striking a covenant. Which ceremony had this signification in it, that when they passed between those divided parts of the slain beast, the action spake this curse or imprecation, " Let him be cut asunder, let his members be divided, let him be made as this beast, who violates the oath of this covenant." From these observations about the words, we may be directed about the nature of the thing : and thence collect this description of a covenant. A covenant is a solemn compact or agreement between two chosen parties or more, whereby with mutual, free, and full consent they bind them- selves upon select conditions, tending to the glory of God, and their common good. A covenant strictly considered, is more than a promise, and less than an oath ; unless an oath be joined with it, as was with that in the text, and is with this we have now before us. A covenant differs from a promise gradually, 196 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. and in the formalities of it, not naturally, or in the substance of it. God made promises to Abraham, Gen. xii. and Gen. xiii. but He made no covenant with him, till chap. xv. ver. 18. "In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham." And the work of the Lord in that day with Abraham, had not only truth and mercy in it, but state and majesty in it. A covenant day, is a solemn day. As the collection of many stars makes a constellation, so ihe collection of many promises makes a covenant. Or, as in the first of Genesis, "The gathering together of the waters, was by the Lord called seas :" so we may call the gathering together of promises, or conditions, a covenant. The Lord doth (as it were) rally all the promises of mercy made to us, which He scattered up and down through the whole volume of the scriptures, and puts them together into a covenant : and we do (as it were) rally all the promises of duty which we owe unto God, and to one another, and put them together in a covenant. Such a bundle of duty is tied up in this present covenant ; what duty is there which we owe to God, to His churches, or these commonwealths whereof we make not promise, either expressly, or by consequence in the compass of this covenant? And how great an obligation to duty doth this contain, wherein there is an obligation to every duty ? Seeing then this covenant, being taken, carries in it so great an obligation, it calls for great preparation before we take it. A slightness of spirit in taking this covenant, must needs cause a slightness of spirit in keeping it. All solemn duties, ought to have solemn preparations ; and this I think, as solemn as any. A Christian ought to set his heart (as far as he can through the strength of Christ) into a praying frame, before he kneels down to prayer. And we ought to set our hearts in a promising frame, before we stand up to make such mighty promises. "Take heed how ye hear," is our Saviour's admonition in the gospel ; surely then we had SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. I97 need take heed how we swear. "Let a man examine himself (saith the apostle Paul) and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup ;" let him come examined to the sacrament : so I may say, " Let a man examine himself, before he lift up his hand, or write down his name ;" let him come examined to the covenant. I shall briefly propose three heads of preparatory examina- tion, respecting our entrance into this covenant. First, Examine your hearts, and your lives, whether or no you are not pre-engaged in any covenant contrary to the tenor and conditions of this covenant ? If any such upon inquiry be found, be sure you avoid it, before you engage yourselves in this. A super-institution in this kind, is very dangerous. Every man must look to it, that he takes this covenant (corde vacante) with a heart emptied of all covenants which are inconsistent with this. For a man to covenant with Christ and His people for reformation, while he hath either taken a covenant with others, or made a covenant in his own breast against it, is desperate wicked- ness. Or if upon a self-search, you find yourselves clear of any such engagements, yet search further. Every man by nature is a covenanter with hell, and with every sin he is at agreement : be sure you revoke and cancel that covenant, before you subscribe this. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer ;" that is, He will not regard my prayers, (saith David). And if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us covenanting ; that is. He will not regard our covenant. Woe be unto those who make this league with God and His people, while they resolve to continue their league with sin : which is (upon the matter) a league with Satan. God and Satan will never meet in one covenant. " For what communion hath light with darkness ? and what concord hath Christ and Belial ? " Second^ Before you enter into this covenant with God, consider of, and repent for this special sin, your former 190 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. breaches and failings in God's covenant. " We who were sometimes afar off, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenant of promise, are made nigh by the blood of Jesus," even so nigh, as to be in covenant with God. Some who pretend to this privilege, wdll be found " Such as have counted the blood of the covenant to be an unholy thing." And where is the man that walketh so holily in this covenant as becomes him, and as it requires? Labour therefore to have those breaches healed by a fresh sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon your consciences, before you enter this covenant : If you put this new piece to an old garment, the rent will be made worse : If you put this new wine into old bottles, the bottles will break, and all your expected comforts will run out and be lost. If you should not feel and search your own hearts, without doubt the Lord will. "And if you be found as deceivers, you will bring a curse upon yourselves, and not a blessing." This is a covenant of amity with God : reconciliation must go before friendship, you can never make friendship till you have made peace, nor settle love, where hostility is unremoved. Third, Inquire diligently at your own hearts, whether they come up to the terms of this covenant? You must bid high for the honour of a covenanter, for a part in this privilege. "Which of you," saith our Lord Christ to His hearers, "intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it ? Lest haply after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it, begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish." We are met this day to lay the foundation of one tower, and to pull up the foundation of another ; w^e are pulling up the foundation of Babel's tower, and we are laying a foundation for Zion's tower. We have seen some who have heretofore done as much, but they have done no more ; when they had SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 1 99 laid a foundation for those noble works in taking a solemn oath and covenant, they have never moved a hand after either to build or to pull down, unless it were quite cross to their own engagements, for the pulling down of Zion's tower, and the building of Babylon. And what was the reason of this stand, or contrary motion ? this surely was one, they did not gage their own hearts before hand, neither did they sit down to count the cost of such an undertaking. And therefore when they perceived the charge to arise so high, they neither could finish, nor would they endeavour it, but left the work before it looked above the ground ; and are justly become a mock and a scorn and a reproach in Israel, these are the men that began in a solemn covenant to build, but could not finish ; they had not stock enough either of true honour or honesty (tho' their stock of parts and opportunities was sufficient) to finish this work. Let us therefore sit down seriously and count the cost ; yea and consider whether we be willing to be at the cost. To lead you on in this, my humble advice is, that you would catechise your hearts upon the articles of this covenant. Put the question to your hearts, and let every one say this unto himself: Am I indeed resolved sincerely, really and constantly, through the grace of God, in my place and calling, to endeavour the preservation of the reformed religion in the church of Scotland? The reformation of religion in the kingdoms of England and Ireland ? Am I indeed resolved in like manner, without respect of persons, to endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy? Am I indeed resolved never to be withdrawn or divided by whatsoever terror or persuasion from this blessed union and conjunction, whether to make defection to the contrary part, or to give myself to a detestable indiff"erency or neutrality in this cause of God ? 200 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Am I indeed resolved to humble myself for my own sins, and the sins of the kingdom ? to amend myself, and all in my power, and to go before others in the example of a real reformation ? According to these hints, propose the question upon every clause of this covenant. And then consider what the cost of performing all these may amount to, and whether you are willing to go to that cost. But it may be, some will say, what is this cost ? I answer, the express letter of the covenant tells you of one cost which you must be constantly at, and that is sincere, real, and con- stant endeavour. Pains is a price, I am sure real pains is. The heathens said, "That their gods sold them all good things for labour." The good things of this covenant are sold at that rate ; yea, this is the price which the true God puts upon those things which He freely gives. To consent to this covenant, to wish well to this covenant, to speak well of this covenant, come not up to the price ; you must do these, and you must do more, you must be doing, so the promise of every man for himself runs, I will through the grace of God endeavour. Yet every endeavour is not current money, payable as the price of this covenant : there must be a threefold stamp upon it. Unless it bear the image and superscription of sincerity, reality, and constancy, it will not be accepted. For so the promise runs, " I will sincerely, really, and constantly endeavour." Neither yet is this all. Such endeavours are virtually money ; but as this covenant calls also for money formally, as the price of it, he that really endeavours after such ends, as here are proposed, must not only be at the cost of his pains, but also at the cost of his purse for the attainment of them. He must open his hand to give and to lend as well as to work and labour. Unless a man be free of his purse as well as of his pains, he bides not up to the demands of this covenant, nor pays up to his own promise when he SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 20I entered into it. Can that man be said really to endeavour the maintenance of a cause while he lets it starve ? or, to strengthen it while he keeps the sinews of it close shut up ? Would he have the chariot move swiftly, who only draws but will not oil the wheels? Know then and consider it that the cost you must be at is both in your labours and in your estates. The engagement runs to both these : and to more than both these. The covenant engages us not only to do but to suffer, not only to endeavour but to endure. Such is the tenor of the sixth article where every man promises for himself that he will not suffer himself to be withdraw^n from this blessed Union by any terrors. If not by any terror, then not by any losses, imprisonments, torments, no, nor by death, that king of terrors. You see, then, that the price of this covenant may be the price of blood, of liberty, and of life. Sit down and consider. Are you willing to be at this cost to build the tower? Through the goodness of God in ordering these great affairs, you may never come actually to pay down so much, haply, not half so much, but except you resolve (if called and put to it by the real exigencies of this cause) to pay down the utmost farthing, your spirits are too narrow and your hearts too low for the honour and tenor of this covenant. If any shall say these demands are very high and the charge very great, but is a part in this covenant worth it? Will it quit cost to be at so great a charge? Wise men love to see and have somewhat for their money; and when they see they will not stick at any cost so the consider- ations be valuable. For the answering and clearing of this, I shall pass to the Second point which holds forth the grounds of a covenant from those words of the text, ''And because of all this." If any one shall be troubled at the "All this "in the price, I doubt not but the "All this " in the grounds will satisfy 202 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. him. Because of all this, we make a sure covenant. Here observe : 1. A covenant must be grounded on reason : we must shew the cause why. God often descends, but man is bound, to give a reason of what he doeth. Some of God's actions are above reason, but none without reason. All our actions ought to be level with reason and with common reason, for it is a common act. That w^hich men of all capacities are called to do, should lie in the reach of every man's capacity. Observe : 2. A covenant must be grounded on weighty reason; there must be much light in the reason (as was shewed before) but no lightness. " Because of all this " saith the text. There were many things in it, and much weight in every one of them. And the reasons, in their proportion, must at least be as weighty as the conditions. Weighty conditions will never be balanced with light reasons. If a man ask a thousand pounds for a jewel, he is bound to demonstrate that his jewel is intrinsically worth so much, else no wise man will come up to his demands. So when great things are demanded to be paid down by all who take part in this covenant, we are obliged to demonstrate and hold forth an equivalent of worth in the grounds and nature of it. Hence observe 3. That the reasons of a covenant must be express, " Because of all this." This is demonstrative. Here's the matter laid before you, consider of it, examine it thoroughly. This is fair dealing, when a man sees why he undertakes, and what he may expect, before he is engaged. And so may say, " Because of this, and this, because of all this," I have entered into the covenant. But what were the particulars that made up the gross sum of all this? I answer, those particulars lie scattered throughout the chapter, the attentive reader will easily find SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 203 them out; I shall in brief reduce them unto two heads. I. The defection and corruptions that were crept in, or openly brought in among them. 2. The afflictions, troubles, and judgments that either were already fallen, or were feared would further fall upon them. The former of these causes is laid down in the 34 and 35 verses of this chapter. " Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers kept Thy law, nor hearkened to Thy commandments, and Thy testimonies, wherewith Thou didst testify against them. For they have not served Thee in Thy kingdom, and in Thy great goodness." The latter of these reasons is contained in the 36 and 37 verses. "Behold, we are servants this day; and for the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers, to eat the fruit thereof, and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it." The close of all is, we are in great distress. From this narrative of the grounds, the making of a covenant is inferred as a conclusion, in the immediate subsequent words of the text, "because of all this." As if he had said, "because we are a people who have so departed from the laws and statutes of our God, and are so corrupted both in worship, and in practice; because we are a people so oppressed in our estates, and liberties, and so distressed by judgments and afflictions : therefore, because of all this, we make a sure covenant." And if we peruse the records of the holy Scripture, we shall find, that either both these grounds conjoined, or one of them, are expressed as the reasons at any time inducing the people of God, to enter into the bond of a covenant. This is evident in Asa's covenant, 2 Chron. xv. 12, l^. In Hezekiah's, 2 Chron. xxix. 10. In Josiah's, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 30, 31. In Ezra's, chap. x. 3. To all which, I refer the reader for satisfaction. And, from all consenting with this in the text, I observe : That when a people are corrupted or declined in doctrine, 204 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. worship, and manners ; when they are distressed in their liberties, livelihoods, or lives ; then, and at such a time they have warrantable and sufficient grounds to make and engage themselves (as their last and highest resort for redress) in the bonds of a sacred solemn covenant. "\\'hat engagement can be upon us, which these reasons do not reach and answer ? The liberty of our persons, and of our estates, is worth much ; but the liberty of the gospel and purity of doctrine and ordinances, are worth much more. Peace is a precious jewel, but who can value truth ? The wise merchant will sell all that he hath with joy to buy this, and blesses God for the bargain. And because of all this, we are called to make a covenant this day. Truth of doctrine and purity of worship were going, and much of them both were gone. The liberty of our persons, and property of our estates, were going, and much of them both were gone ; we were at once growing popish and slavish, superstitious and servile; we were in these great distresses, "And because of all this we make a covenant this day." That these are the grounds of our covenant, is clear in the tenor of the covenant. The preamble whereof speaks thus : " WE calling to mind 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 reforma- tion of religion ; and how much their rage, power and presumption are of late, and at this time increased and exercised, whereof the deplorable estate 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 public testimonies : we have now at the last, for the pre- servation of ourselves, and our religion, from utter ruin and destruction, after mature deliberation resolved and SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 205 determined to enter into a mutual and solemn league and covenant." So then, if we be asked a reason of our covenant, here are reasons, clear reasons, easy to the weakest understanding, yea, open to every man's sense. Who amongst us hath not felt these reasons ? and how many have smarted their proof unto us ? And as these reasons are so plain, that the most illiterate and vulgar understandings may conceive them ; so they are so weighty and cogent, that the most subtile and sublime understandings cannot but be subdued to them ; unless, because they are such masters of reason, they have resolved to obey none. And yet where conscience is indeed unsatisfied, we should rather pity than impose, and labour to persuade, rather than violently to obtrude. Now seeing we have all this for the ground of a covenant, let us cheer- fully and reverently make a sure covenant, which is the third point in the text, the property of this covenant : we make a sure covenant. In the Hebrew, the word covenant is not expressed. The text runs only thus, we make a sure one, or a sure thing. Covenants are in their own nature and constitution, things of so much certainty and assurance, that by way of excellency, a covenant is called, a sure one, or an assurance. When a sure one is but named, a covenant must be understood. As, the "Holy One" is God, and the "Holy One and the Just," is Christ. You may know whom the Holy Ghost means, when He saith " The Holy One and the Just." So the sure one, is a covenant. You may know what they made, when the Holy Ghost saith, they made a sure one. Hence observe, that A well grounded covenant is a sure, a firm, and an irrevocable act. When you have such an all this, (and such you have) as is here concentrated in the text, to lay into, or for the foundation of a covenant, the superstruction is atcrnitati sacrum, and must stand for ever. 2o6 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. A weak ground is but a weak obligation ; and a sinful ground is no obligation. There is much sin in making a covenant upon sinful grounds, and there is more sin in keeping of it. But when the preservation of true religion, and the vindication of just liberties meet in the ground- work, ye may swear and not repent; yea, if ye swear, ye must not repent. For because of all such things as these, we ought (if we make any, and that we ought) to make a sure covenant. The covenant God makes with man is a sure covenant. Hence called a "Covenant of salt," because salt preserves from perishing and putrefaction. The covenant of God with man about temporal things, is called a " Covenant of Salt, and a covenant forever." For tho' His covenant about temporal things (as all temporals must) hath an end of termina- tion, yet it hath no end of corruption : time will conclude it, but time cannot violate it. But as for His covenant about eternal things, that, like eternity, knows not only no end of corruption, but none of termination. " Altho' my house (saith gasping David) be not so with God ; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, altho' He make it not to grow." And what is it that makes the covenant of God with man thus sure ? sure not only in itself, but (as the apostle speaks) to all the seed. Is it not this, because it hath a strong foundation, a double, impregnable foundation? First, His own free grace. Second, The blood of Christ ; which is therefore also called, the blood of the covenant. Because of all this, this all, which hath an infinity in it, the Lord God hath made with us a sure covenant. Now, as the stability and everlastingness of God's covenant with His elect, lies in the strength of the foundation, " His own love, and the blood of His Son :" so the stability and firmness of our covenant with God, lies in the strength of this foundation, the securing of the gospel, and the asserting SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 207 of gospel-purity in worship, and privileges in government ; the securing of our lives, and the asserting of our common liberties. When at any time ye can question, and, from the oracles of truth, be resolved, that these are sufficient grounds of making a covenant, or that these are not ours, ye may go, and unassure the covenant which ye make this day. Application. Let me therefore invite you in the words of the prophet Jeremiah, " Come let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall never be forgotten." And do not these look like the days wherein the prophet calls to the doing of this? "In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord." What time, and what days were those ? the beginning of the chapter answers. " The word that the Lord spake against Babylon, declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard, publish and conceal not : say, Babylon is taken. Bell is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces ; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces : for out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate." Then follows, "In those days and at that time saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come. And they shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." Are not these the days, and this the time (I speak not of time to a day, but of time and days) wherein the Lord speaks against Babylon, and against the land of the Chaldeans : wherein He saith, " Declare among the nations, and publish, and set up the standard." Are not these the days, and this the time, when out of the north there cometh up a nation against her ? As face answers face in the water, so do the events of these days answer, if not the letter, yet much of the mystery of this prophecy. There seems wanting only the work which this day is bringing forth, and a few days more (I hope) will bring unto perfection, the 2o8 THE SOLEiMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. joining of ourselves in a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten. It is very observable, how the prophet, as it were, with one breath saith, " Babylon is taken." And, " Come let us join ourselves in covenant." As if there were no more in it but this, take the covenant, and ye take Babylon. Or, as if the taking of a covenant were the ready way, the readiest way to take Babylon. Surely at the report of the taking of this sure covenant, we in our prayer-visions (as the prophet Habakkuk), " May see the tents of Cushan in affliction, and the curtains of the land of Midian tremble." Or, as jNIoses in his triumphant song, "The people shall hear, and be afraid : sorrow shall take hold of the inhabitants of Palestina. The dukes of Edom shall be amazed ; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them ; the inhabitants of Canaan (who are now the inhabitants of Babylon) shall melt away. The towers of Babylon shall quake, and her seven hills will move. The great mountain before our Zerubbabel, will become a plain, and we shall bring forth the head-stone (of our reformation) with shouting, crying, grace, grace unto it." Why may we not promise to ourselves such glorious effects (and not build these castles in the air) when we have laid so promising a foundation, this sure covenant, and have made a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten ? The three things I shall propose, which this covenant will bring in, as facilitating contributions to so great a work : I. This covenant will distinguish men, and separate the precious from the vile. In the twentieth chapter of Ezekiel, the Lord promiseth His people, after this manner, " I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant." The phrase of causing to pass under the rod, is an allusion to shepherds, or the keepers of cattle, who when they would take special notice of their sheep or cattle, either in their number to tithe them, or in their goodness to try them, they brought them into a fold, SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 209 or some other inclosed place, when letting them pass out at a narrow door, one by one, they held a rod over them, to count or consider more distinctly of them. This action was called a "passing of them under the rod," as Moses teaches us, "And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord." The learned Junius expounds that text in Ezekiel by this in Leviticus, giving the sense thus, "As if the Lord had said, I will prove and try the whole people of Israel, as a shepherd doeth his flock, that I may take the good and sound into the fold of My covenant, and cast out the wicked and unsound." Which interpretation is not only favoured, but fully approved, in the words immediately following, " I will bring you into the bond of the covenant, and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against Me." A covenant is to a nation, as a fan to the floor, which purges away the chafl" and purifies the wheat. It is like the furnace to the metal, which takes away the dross and shews you a refined lump.^^ It is a Shibboleth, to distinguish Ephraimites from Gileadites. And who knows not how great an advantage it is for the successful carrying on of any honourable design, to know friends from enemies, and the faithful from false brethren? Some have thought it unpolitical to set-a-foot this covenant, lest it should discover more enemies than friends, and so holding out to the view more than otherwise can be seen, the weakness of a party may render them, not only more obnoxious, but more inconsiderable. To this I answer, in a word, invisible enemies will ever do us more hurt than visible ; and if we cannot deliver ourselves from them, when they are seen and known, doubtless unseen and unknown, they will more easily, the more insensibly devour us. And I verily believe, we have already received more damage and deeper wounds- from 2IO THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. pretended friends, than from professed and open enemies. The sad stories of Abner and Amasa inform us, that there is no fence against his stroke, who comes too near us, who stabs while he takes us aside to speak kindly to us, who draws his sword, while he hath a kiss at his lips, and art thou in health, my brother, at his tongue. Let us never think ourselves stronger, because we do not know our weakness ; or safer, because we are ignorant of our danger. Or that our real enemies and false friends will do us less hurt, because they are less discovered. I do not think, that a flock ever fared the better, because the wolves that were amongst them, went in sheep's clothing. Rather will our knowledge be our security, and the discovery which this covenant makes, help on both our deliverance and our business. For as, possibly, this covenant may discover those who are faithful to be fewer, than was supposed before this strict distinction from others : so it will certainly make them stronger than they vv^ere before, by a stricter union among themselves. And this is 2. The second benefit of this covenant, which I shall next insist upon. As it doth separate those who are heterogeneal, so likewise it will congregate and embody those who are homogeneal. And therefore it cannot but add strength unto a people; for whatsoever unites, strengthens. A few united, are stronger than a scattered multitude. Tho' they who subscribe this covenant should be, comparatively, so few, as the prophet speaks, " That a child may write them ; " yet this few thus united are stronger than so many scattered ones, as exceed all arithmetic, whom (as John speaks,) "No man can number."' Cloven tongues were sent, to publish the gospel, but not divided tongues, much less divided hearts : the former hindered the building of Babel, and the latter, tho' tongues should agree, will hinder the building of Jerusalem. Then a work goes on amain, when the undertakers, whether they SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 211 be few or many, all speak and think the same thing. A people are more considerable in any work, because they are one, than because they are many. But when many and one meet, nothing can stand before them. So the Lord God observed, when " He came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded." And the Lord said, "Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language : and this they begin to do ; and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." Men may do as much as they can think, while they all think and do as one ; and not only can such do great things, if let alone ; but none can let them in doing what they intend ; so saith the Lord, " They have begun to do, and nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined." Nothing could restrain, or let them from their work, but His power, who " will work, and none can let it." Thus it is apparent that union is our strength. And it is as apparent that this covenant, through the blessing of God upon it, will be our union. To unite, is the very nature of a covenant. Hence it is called " the bond of the covenant, I will bring you into the bond of the covenant," saith the Lord. Junius and some others render it, I will bring you (ad exhibitionem foederis) to the giving or tendering of the covenant : deriving the word from Masar, signifying, to exhibit or deliver. Whence (to note that in passage) the traditionary doctrine among the Jews is called Masora, or Masoreth. Others (whom our translators fellow, and put the former sense, delivering, in the margin) others, I say, deriving the word from Asar to bind, render it the bond of the covenant. And this covenant is the bond of a twofold union. First, It unites us of this kingdom among ourselves, and this kingdom with the other two. Secotid, It makes a special union of all those who shall take it holily and sincerely throughout the three kingdoms with the one-most God. 212 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Weak things bound together, are strong, much more then, when strong are bound up with strong ; most of all, when strong are bound up with Almighty. If in this covenant, we should only join weak to weak, we might be strong. But, blessed be God, we join strong, as creatures may be accounted strong, with strong. The strong kingdoms of England and Ireland, with the strong kingdom of Scotland. A threefold cord twisted of three such strong cords, will not easily, if at all, be broken. They which single, blessed be God, have yet such strength, how strong may they be when conjoined ? as the apostle writes, " I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh : " so I speak now after the manner of men, concerning the strength of our flesh, outward means, in these kingdoms. For as the apostle Peter speaks in like phrase, tho' to another occasion, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness : " so I may say, no man, no kingdoms, are strong to any purpose, as the Lord counts strength. And therefore, I reckon this the least part of our strength, that these three strong kingdoms will be united by this covenant. Nay, if this were all the strength, which this union were like to make, I should reckon this no strength at all. Wherefore, know that this covenant undoubtedly is, and will be a bond of union between strong and Almighty : between three strong nations, and an Almighty God. This covenant engages more than man, God also is engaged ; engaged, through His free grace, in His power, wisdom, faithfulness, to do us good, and much good, tho' in and of ourselves unworthy of the least, unworthy of any good. All this considered, this covenant will be our strength : our brethren of Scotland have, in a plentiful experience, found it so already. This covenant, thro' the blessing of God upon their councils and endeavours, hath been their Samson's lock, the thing in fight, wherein their strength lieth. And why should not we hope, that it will be ours ; if we can be SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 213 wise, as they, to prevent or overcome the flattering enticements of those Delilahs who would lull us asleep in their laps, only for an opportunity to cut or shave it off? Then indeed, which God forbid, we should be but weak like other men, yea, weaker than ourselves were before this lock was grown, having but the strength of man ; God utterly departing from us, for our falseness and unfaithfulness in this covenant. 3. This covenant observed will make us an holy people, and then, we cannot be an unhappy people. That which promotes personal holiness, must needs promote national holiness. The consideration that we are in the bonds of a covenant, is both a bridle to stop us from sin, and a spur to duty. When we provoke God to bring evil upon us. He stays His hand by considering His covenant. "I will remember My covenant, saith the Lord, which is between Me, and you ; and every living creature of all flesh ; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." As if the Lord had said, It is more than probable, that I shall quickly see as much cause, "all flesh corrupting all their ways before Me," to drown the world with a second deluge, as I did for the first : the foulness of the world, will quickly call for another washing. But I am resolved, never to destroy it by water again; for, "I will remember My covenant." Hence also in the second book of the Chronicles, chap. xxi. where the reign and sins of Jehoram are recorded ; such sins as might justly put a sword into the hand of God to cut him off root and branch ; howbeit, saith the text, " The Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He promised to give a light to him, and to his sons forever." Now, as the remembrance of the covenant on His part, stays the hand of God from smiting ; so the remembrance of the covenant on our part, will be ver}' effectual to stay our hands, and tongues, and hearts from 214 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. sinning. A thought of that vdll damp and silence our lusts and passions, when they begin to move or quest within us : it will also break the blow of Satan's temptations, when he assaults us. The soul in such cases will answer, True, I am now as strongly tempted to sin as ever, I have now as fair an opportunity to commit sin as ever, I could now be false to, and desert this cause with as much advantage, upon as fair hopes and promises as ever : O ! but I am in covenant, I remember my covenant, I will not, I cannot do it ; and so he falls a praying against the temptation : yea, he begs prayers of others, that he may be strengthened against, and overcome it. I read you an instance of this eifect Before the sermon, a paper is sent to this congregation, containing this request : " One who through much passion oftentimes grievously offends the IMajesty of God by cursing and swearing, and that since his late taking the covenant, desires the prayers of this congregation, that his offence may be pardoned, and that he may be enabled to overcome that temptation from henceforwards." This is the tenor of that request, to a letter and a tittle, and therein you see how the remembrance of the covenant wrought. Probably this party (whosoever he was) took little notice of, or was little troubled at the notice of these distempers in himself before ; least of all sought out for help against them. And I have the rather inserted this to confute that scorn which, I hear, some have since put upon that conscientious desire. As if one had complained, that since his swearing to the covenant he could not forbear swearing, and that this sacred oath had taught him profane ones. But what holy thing is there which swine will not make mire of, for themselves to wallow in ? I return ; and I nothing doubt, but that this covenant, wherein all is undertaken through the grace of Christ, will make many more gracious who had grace before, and turn others, who were running on amain in the broad way, from the evil and error of their ways, into the way which is called SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 215 holy, or into the ways of holiness. Every act wherein we converse with an holy God, hath an influence upon our spirits to make us holy. The soul is made more holy in prayer, tho' holiness be not the particular matter of the prayer : a man gets much of heaven into his heart, in praying for earthly things, if he pray in a spiritual manner ; and the reason is because, in prayer, he hath converse with, and draws nigh to God, whatsoever lawful thing he prays about. And the same reason carries it in covenanting, tho' it were only about the maintenance of our outward estates and liberties, forasmuch as therein we have to do with God. How much more then will holiness be increased through this covenant which, in many branches of it, is a direct covenant for, and about holiness? And if we improve it home to this purpose, for the subduing of those mystical Canaanites, those worst and indeed most formidable enemies, our sinful lusts : if we improve it for the obtaining of more grace, and the making of us more holy : tho' our visible Canaanites should not only continue unsubdued by us, but subdue us ; though our estates and Hberties should continue, not only unrecovered, but quite lost; tho' we should neither be a rich, nor a free, nor a victorious people ; yet if we are an holy people, we have more than all these, we have all, He is ours, " Who is all in all." So much of the first general part of the application. The second is for admonition and caution, in three or four particulars. [. Take heed of "profaning this covenant," by an unholy life. Remember you have made a covenant with heaven ; then do not live as if you had made a " covenant with hell or were come to an agreement with death," as the prophet Isaiah characters those monsters of profaneness. Take heed also of " corrupting this covenant," by an unholy gloss. Wo be unto those glossers that corrupt the text, pervert the meaning of these words : who attempt to expound the 2l6 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. covenant by their own practice, and will not regulate their practice by the covenant. The apostle Peter speaks of Paul's writings, " That in them some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction." We may fear, that tho' the text of this covenant be easy to be understood, yet some (who, at least think themselves learned), and whom we have found not only stable but stiffened in their own erroneous principles and opinions, will be trying their skill, if not their malice, to wrest, or, as the Greek imports, to torture and set this covenant upon the rack, to make it speak and confess a sense never intended by the composers, or proposers of it : and whereof (if but common ingenuity be the judge) it never will, nor can be found guilty. All that I shall say to such is that in the close of the verse quoted from the apostle Peter, let them take heed such wrestings be not (worst to themselves, even) to their own destruction. 2. Take heed of delaying to perform the duties of this covenant. Some, I fear, who have made haste to take the covenant, will take leasure to act it. It is possible, that a man may make too much haste (when he swears, before he considers what it is) to take an oath ; but, having taken it upon due consideration, he cannot make too much haste to perform it. "Be not rash with thy mouth," saith the preacher. That is, do not vow rashly, but, "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it : for He hath no pleasure in fools (slow performance is folly) ; pay that which thou hast vowed." Speedy paying (like speedy giving) is double payment; whereas slow payment is no payment or as bad as none, for it is foolish payment. A bond, if I mistake not, is presently due in law, if no day be specified in the bond. It is so I am sure in this covenant ; here is no day set down, and therefore all is due the same day you take it. God and man may sue this bond presently SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. , 21 7 for non-payment : the covenant gives no day, and therefore requires the next day, every day. It is not safe to take day for payment, when the obligation is in terminis de prcBsenti, and none is given. 3. Take heed of dallying with this covenant. It is more than serious, a sacred covenant. It is very dangerous jesting with edged tools. This covenant is as keen as it is strong. Do not play fast and loose with it, be not in and out with it ; God is an avenger of all such : He is a jealous God, and will not hold them guiltless, who thus take His name in vain. They who swear by, or to the Lord, and swear by Malcham, are threatened to be cut off. To be on both sides, and to be on no side ; neutraUty and indifferency differ little, either in their sin or danger. 4. Above all, take heed of apostatizing from, or an utter desertion of, this covenant. To be deserted of God, is the greatest punishment, and to desert God, is the greatest sin. When you have set your hands to the plough, do not look back : remember Lot's wife. Besides the sin, this is. First, Extremely base and dishonourable. It is one of the brands set upon those Gentiles whom "God had given up to a reprobate mind, and to vile affections," that they were covenant breakers. And how base is that issue which is begotten between, and born from vile affections, and a reprobate mind ? where the parents are such, it is easy to judge what the child must be. Seco?id, Besides the sin and the dishonour, this is extremely dangerous and destructive. We are said in the native speaking, to cut a covenant, or to strike a covenant, when we make it ; and if we break the covenant when we have made it, it will both strike and cut us, it will kill and slay us. If the cords of this covenant do not bind us, the cords of this covenant will whip us ; and whip us, not as with cords, but as with scorpions. The covenant will have a quarrel with, and sends out a challenge unto such breakers of it, for reparation. And (if I may so 2l8 .THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. speak) the great God will be its second. As God revenges the quarrel of His own covenant, so likewise the quarrel of ours. He hath already "Sent a sword to revenge the quarrel of His covenant." He will send another to revenge the quarrel of this upon the wilful violators of it. Yea, every lawful covenant hath a curse always waiting upon it, like a marshal or a sergeant, to attack such high contemners of it. It was noted before from the ceremony of killing, dividing, and passing between the divided parts of a beast, when covenants were made, that the imprecation of a curse upon the covenanters was implied, in case they wilfully transgressed or revolted from it. Let the transgressors of, and revolters from this covenant, fear and tremble at the same curse, even the curse of a dreadful division : " That God will divide them and their posterity in Jacob, and scatter them in our Israel ; yea, let them fear, that God will rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling wind before the whirlwind. This is (their portion, and) the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us." And if so, is not their lot fallen in an unpleasant place ? have they not a dreadful heritage ? to be under any curse is misery enough ; but to be under a covenant curse, is the greatest, is all misery. For as the blessings we receive are most sweet, when they pass to us through the hands of a covenant ; a mercy from a promise is far better than a mercy from bare Providence, because then it is sprinkled with the blood of Christ : so . on the other side, the curse which falls upon any one is far more bitter when it comes through a covenant, especially an abused, a broken covenant. When the fiery beams of God's wrath are contracted into this burning glass, it will burn as low as hell, and none can quench it. That alone which quenches the fire of God's wrath is the blood of Christ. And the blood of Christ is the foundation of this covenant. SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 219 Not only is that covenant which God hath made with us founded in the blood of Christ, but that also which we make with God. Were it not by the blood of Christ, we could not possibly be admitted to so high a privilege. Seeing then the blood of Christ only quenches the wrath of God, and this blood is the foundation of our covenant, how shall the wrath of God (except they repent, return and renew their covenant) be quenched towards such violators of it ? And, as our Saviour speaks upon another occasion, " If the light which is in them be darkness, how great is that darkness ? " So, I say, if that which is our friend turn upon us as an emeny, how great is that enmity ; and if that which is our mercy be turned into wrath, how great is that wrath, and who can quench it? It is said of good king Josiah, that when he had made a covenant before the Lord, "he caused all that were present in Jerusalem, and in Benjamin, to stand to it." How far he interposed his regal authority, I stay not to dispute. But he caused them to stand to it ; that is openly to attest, and to maintain it. Methinks the consideration of these things, should reign over the hearts of men, and command in their spirits, more than any prince can over the tongues or bodies of men, to cause them to stand to this covenant. Ve that have taken this covenant, unless ye stand to it, ye will fall by it. I shall shut up this point with that of the apostle, "Take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, when ye have done all, to stand," (Eph. vi. 13). Stand, and withstand, are the watchword of this covenant, or the impress of every heart which hath or shall sincerely swear unto it. For the helping of you to stand to this covenant, I shall cast in a few advices about your walking in this covenant, or your carriage in it, which, if followed, I dare say, through the mercy of the Most High, your persons, these kingdoms, and this cause, shall not miscarry. 2 20 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. 1. Walk in holiness and uprightness. When God renewed His covenant with Abraham, He makes this the preamble of it, "I am the Almighty God, walk before Me, and be thou perfect, and I will make My covenant between Me and thee." As this must be a covenant of salt, in regard of faithfulness ; so there must be salt in this covenant, even the salt of holiness and uprightness. The Jews were commanded in all their offerings to use salt ; and that is called the salt of the covenant, " Every oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt, neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking." What is meant by salt on our parts, is taught us by Christ Himself, " Have salt in your- selves, and have peace one with another." Which I take to be parallel in sense with that of the apostle, "Follow peace with all men and holiness." As salt, the shadow of holiness, was called for, in all those Jewish services ; so holiness, the true substantial salt, is called for in all ours. As then it was charged, " Let not the salt of the covenant of thy God be lacking : " so now it is charged, " Suffer not the salt of thy covenant with God and His people to be lacking." Seeing we have made a covenant of salt, that is, a sure covenant, let us remember to keep salt in our covenant. Let us add salt to -salt, our salt to the Lord's salt, our salt of holiness to His salt of faithfulness, and we shall not miscarry. 2. Walk steadily or stedfastly in this covenant. Where the heart is upright and holy, the feet will be steady. Unstedfastness is a sure argument of unsoundness, as well as a fruit of it. "Their heart was not right with Him; neither were they stedfast in His covenant." As if He had said, would you know the reason why this people were so unstedfast? It was, because they were so unsound. " Their heart was not right with Him." We often see the SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 221 diseases of men's hearts breaking forth at their lips, and at their finger ends, in all they say or do. God will be steady to us ; why should not'^we resolve to be so to Him? and this covenant will be stedfast and uniform unto us, why should not we resolve to be so too, and in this covenant? The covenant will not be our friend to-day, and our enemy to-morrow, do us good to-day, and hurt to-morrow, it will not be the fruitful this year, and barren the next ; but it is our friend to do us good to-day, and ever. It is fruitful and will be so for ever. We need not let it lie fallow, we cannot take out the heart of it, tho' we should have occasion to plough it, and sow it every year. Much less will this covenant be so unstedfast to its own principles, as to yield us wheat to-day, and cockle to-morrow, an egg to- day, and to-morrow a scorpion ; now bread, and anon a stone ; now give us an embrace, and anon a wound ; now help on our peace, and anon embroil us ; now prosper our reformation, and anon oppose, or hinder it ; strengthen us this year, and weaken us the next. No, as it will never be barren, so it will ever bring forth the same fruit, and that good fruit ; and the more and the longer we use it, the better fruit. Like the faithful wife, " It will do us good, and not evil, all the days of its life." It is therefore, not only sinful, but most unsuitable and uningenuous, for us to be up and down, forward and backward, liking and disliking, like that double minded man, " Unstable in all our ways," respecting the duties of this covenant. 3. Walk believingly, live much in the exercise of faith. As we have no more good out of the covenant of God, than we have faith in it ; so no more good out of our own, than (in a due sense) we have faith in it. There is as much need of faith, to improve this covenant, as there is of faithfulness. We live no more in the sphere of a covenant, than we believe. And we can make no living out of it but 222 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. by believing. All our earnings come in here also, more by our faith, than by our works. Let not the heart of God be straitened, and His hand shortened by our unbelief. Where Christ marvelled at the unbelief of a people, consider what a marvel followed : Omnipotence was as one weak. " He could do no mighty works among them." Works less than mighty will not reach our deliverances or procure our mercies. The ancient worthies made more use of their faith, than to be saved, and get to heaven by it. " By faith the walls of Jericho fell down. By faith they subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, (or exercised justice) stopped the mouths of lions. By faith they quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness they were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." We have Jerichos to reduce, and kingdoms to subdue, under the sceptre and government of Jesus Christ : we have justice to execute, and the mouths of lions to stop : we have a violent fire to quench, a sharp edged sword to escape. Popish alien armies to fight with ; and we (comparatively to these mighty works) are but weak. How then shall we out of our weakness become strong, strong enough to carry us through these mighty works, strong enough to escape these visible dangers? If we walk and work by sense, and not by faith ? And if we could get through all these works and dangers without faith, we should work but like men, not at all like Christians, but like men in a politic combination, not in a holy covenant. There's not a stroke of covenant work (purely so called) can be done without faith. As fire is to the chemist, so is faith to a covenant people. In that capacity, they can do nothing for themselves without it ; and they have, they can have, no assurance that God will. Seeing then we are in covenant, we must go to counsel by faith, and to war by faith ; we must pull down by faith, and build by faith ; we must reform by faith, and settle our peace by faith. Besides, SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 223 to do a work so solemn and sacred, and then not to believe and expect no fruit ; yea, then to believe and expect answerable fruit, is a direct taking of God's name in vain, and a mock to Jesus Christ. And if we mock Christ by calling Him to a covenant, which we ourselves slight, as a thing we expect little or nothing from : "He will laugh at our calamity," and "mock when our fear cometh." Wherefore to close, " If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established," no, not by this sure covenant. But, " believe in the Lord your God, in covenant, so shall you be established ; believe His prophets, so shall you prosper." 4. Walk cheerfully. So it becomes those that have God so near them. Such, even in their sorrows, should be like Paul, " As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." The (as) notes not a counterfeiting of sorrow, but the overcoming of sorrow. On this ground David resolves against the fear of evil, tho' he should see nothing but evil ; " Tho' I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for Thou art with me." In a covenant, God and man meet ; He is with us who is more than all that are against us : and when He is with us, who can be against us ? For then all things, and all persons, even while (to the utmost of their skill and power) they set themselves against us, work for us; and should not we rejoice ? If we knew that every loss were our gain, every wound our healing, every disappoint- ment our success, every defeat our victory, would we not rejoice ? Do but know what it is to be in covenant with God ; and be sad, be hopeless, if you can. It is to have the strength and counsels of heaven engaged for you ; it is to have Him for you, "Whose foolishness is wiser than men, and whose weakness is stronger than men." It is to have Him with you, "who doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, what doest thou ? " It is to have Him with you, " who frustrateth the 2 24 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. tokens of the liars, and maketh the diviners mad. who turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish." It is to have Him with you, before whom " the nations are as the drop of a bucket, and as the dust of the balance, who taketh up the isles as a very little thing." In a word, it is to have Him with you, " who fainteth not, neither is weary ; there is no searching of His understand- ing. He giveth power to the faint ; and to them that have no might, He increaseth strength." This God is our God, our God in covenant ; " This is our beloved and this is our Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." And shall we not rejoice ? Shall we not walk cheerfully ? Tho' there be nothing but trouble before our eyes, yet our hearts should live in those upper regions, which are above storms and tempests, above rain and winds, above the noise and confusions of the world. Why should sorrow sit clouded in our faces, or any darkness be in our hearts, while we are in the shine and light of God's countenance? It is said, " That all Judah rejoiced at the oath ; for they had sworn with all their heart : " If we have sworn heartily, we shall rejoice heartily. And for ever banish base fears, and killing sorrows from our hearts ; and wipe them from our faces. They, who have unworthy fears in their hearts, give too fair an evidence that they did not swear with their hearts. 5. Walk humbly and dependently ; rejoice, but be not secure. Trust to God in covenant, not to your covenant. Make not your covenant your Christ ; no, not for this temporal salvation. As a horse trusted to, is a vain thing to save a man, so likewise is a covenant trusted to ; neither can it deliver a nation by its great strength : tho' indeed the strength of it be greater than the strength of many horses. " In vain is salvation hoped for from this hill, or from a multitude of mountains," heaped up and joined in one by the bond of this covenant. Surely in the Lord our God, our God in covenant, is the salvation of England. We SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 225 cannot trust too much in God, nor too little in the creature ; there is nothing breaks the staff of our help, but our leaning upon it. If we trust in our covenant, we have not made it with God, but we have made it a god ; and every god of man's making, is an idol, and so nothing in the world : you see, pride in, or trust to this covenant will make it an idol, and then in doing all this, we have done nothing ; for " an idol is nothing in the world." And of nothing, comes nothing. By overlooking to the means, we lose all ; and by all our travail shall bring forth nothing but wind : it will not work any deliverance in the land. Wherefore, "rest not in the thing done, but get up, and be doing," which is the last point, and my last motion about your walking in covenant. 6. Walk industriously and diligently in this covenant. You were counselled before to stand to the covenant, but take heed of standing in it. Stand, as that is opposed to defection ; but if you stand as that is opposed to action, you are at the next door to falling. A total neglect is little better than total apostasy. We have made a perpetual covenant, never to be forgotten, as was shewed out of the prophet. It is a rule, that words in scripture, which express only an act of memory, include action and endeavours. When the young man is warned to " remember his Creator in the days of his youth," he is also charged to love, and to obey Him. And while we say, this covenant is never to be forgotten ; we mean, the duties of it are ever to be pursued, and, to the utmost of our power, fulfilled. As soon as it is said that Josiah made all the people stand to the covenant; the very next words are, ''and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers." They stood to it, but they did not, like those, " stand all the day idle ; " they fell to work presently. And so let us. Having laid this foundation, a sure covenant, now let us arise and p 2 26 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. build, and let our hands be strong. Do not think that all is done, when this solemnity is done. It is a sad thing to observe how some, when they have lifted up their hands, and written down their names, think presently their work is over. They think, now surely they have satisfied God and man for they have subscribed the covenant. I tell you, nay, for when you have done taking the covenant, then your work begins. When you have done taking the covenant, then you must proceed to acting the covenant. When an apprentice has subscribed his name, and sealed his indentures, doth he then think his service is ended? No, then he knows his service doth begin. It is so here. We are all sealing the indentures of a sacred and noble apprenticeship to God, to these churches and common-wealths ; let us then go to our work, as bound, yet free. Free to our work, not from it ; free in our work, working from a principle of holy ingenuity, not of servility, or constraint. The Lord threatens them with bondage and captivity, who will not be servants in their covenant, with readiness and activity. " I, saith the Lord, will give the men that have transgressed My covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant, which they had made before Me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof; the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf, I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and their dead bodies shall be meat to the fowls of the air, and the beasts of the earth." Words that need no rhetoric to press them, nor any comment to explain them : they are so plain, that every one may understand them ; and so severe, that every one, who either transgresses, or performs not, who doeth any thing against, or nothing for the words of this covenant, hath just cause to tremble at the reading of them : SERMON AT WESTMINSTER. 227 I am sure, to feel them will make him tremble. Seeing then our princes, our magistrates, our ministers, and our people, have freely consented to, written, and sworn this covenant ; let us all in our several places, be up and doing, that the Lord may be with us ; not sit still and do nothing, and so cause the Lord to turn against us. You that are for consultation, go to counsel ; you that are for execution, go on to acting ; you that are for exhorting the people in this work, attend to exhortation ; you that are soldiers, draw your swords ; you that have estates, draw your purses ; you that have strength of body, lend your hands ; and all you that have honest hearts, lend your prayers, your cries, your tears, for the prosperous success of this great work. And the Lord prosper the works of all our hands, the Lord prosper all our handy-works. Amen. THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. SERMON AT LONDON. BY THOMAS CASE.* "And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant." — Lev. xxvi. 25. Since covenant-violation is a matter of so high a quarrel as for the avenging whereof, God sends a sword upon a church or nation : for which, it is more than probable, the sword is upon us at this present, it having almost devoured Ireland already, and eaten up a great part of England also, let us engage our council, and all the interest we have in heaven and earth, for the taking up of this controversy ; let us consider what we have to do, what way there is yet left us, for the reconciling of this quarrel, else we, and our families, are 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 thro' the land, and, in the pursuit of this quarrel, cut off the remnant, till our land be so desolate, and our cities * Mr, Case, a member of the Westminster Assembly, gave this sermon and the one that follows, at the taking of the Covenant in Milk Street Church, London ; the former on Saturday evening, 30th September, 1643, and the other on ist October, on "the Sabbath-day in the morning," immediately before the Covenant was taken. Both sermons, together with one on' the Fast, 27th September, were dedicated to the Commissioners from the Church of Scotland to the Westminster Assembly. SERMON AT LONDON. 229 waste, and England be made as Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of the fierce anger of Jehovah. Somewhat I have spoken already in the former use, to this purpose viz. "To acknowledge our iniquities 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. But this looks backward. Somewhat must be done, defuturo: for time to come : that may not only compose the quarrel, but lay a sure foundation of an after peace between God and the kingdom. And for that purpose, a mean lies before us ; an opportunity is held forth unto us by the hand of divine wisdom and goodness, of known use and success among the people of God in former times ; which is yet to me a gracious intimation, and a farther argument of hope from heaven, that God has not sworn against us in His wrath, nor sealed us up a people devoted to destruction, but hath yet a mind 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 terms as shall be propounded to us : and that is, by renewing our covenant with Him ; yea, by entering into a more full and firm covenant than ever heretofore. For, as the quarrel was raised about the covenant, so it must be a covenant more solid and substantial, that must compose the quarrel, as I shall show you hereafter. And that is the service and the privilege 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 ; " Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." It is the voice of the children of Israel, and the children of Judah, returning out of captivity. " The children of Israel shall come, thev, and the children of Judah together ; seeking the 230 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Lord," whom they had lost, and inquiring the way to Zion ; 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. "Going and weeping they shall go, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion wdth their faces thitherward." And if you inquire when this should be ? The fourth verse tells you, in those days. And if you ask again, what days those are? Interpreters will tell us of a threefold day, wherein this prophecy or promise is to be fulfilled; that is, the literal or [inchoative, evangelical or spiritual, universal or perfect day. The first-day is a literal or inchoative day, here pro- phesied of, and that is already past, past long since ; viz., in that day wherein the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity expired ; then was this prophecy 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, kept a solemn fast at the river "Ahava, to afflict their souls before their God." There may you see them going and weeping, " to seek of Him a right way for them, and their little ones." There you have them seeking the Lord, and inquiring the way to Zion with their faces thither- ward. And when they came home, you may hear some of their nobles and priests, calling upon them to enter into covenant ; so Shechaniah spake unto Ezra, the princes, and the people, "We have sinned against the Lord, . . . yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God." And so you may find the Levites calling the people to confess their sins with weeping and supplications, in a day of humiliation, and at the end of it, to write, and swear, and seal a covenant with "the Lord their God." This was the SERMON AT LONDON. 23 1 first day wherein this prophecy began to be fulfilled, in the very letter thereof. The second day is the evangelical day, wherein this promise is fulfilled in a gospel or spiritual sense ; namely, when the elect of God, of what nation or language soever, being all called the Israel of God, as is prophesied, " One shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, . . . and surname himself by the name of Israel." I say, when these in their several generations and successions shall turn to the Lord their God, either from their Gentilism and paganism, as in their first conversion to Christianity ; as Tertullian observes after the resurrection of Christ, and the mission of the Holy Ghost ; Aspice exinde universas nationes ex veragt?ie erroris huinani emergentes ad Domiiium Deum^ et ad Douiinutn Christum ejus. From that day forward, you might behold poor creatures of all nations and languages, creeping out of their dark holes and corners of blindness and idolatry, and betaking them to God and His Son Jesus Christ, as to their Law-giver and Saviour ; or else turning from Antichristian superstition, and false ways 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 Zion, i.e., the pure way of gospel worship, according to the fuller and clearer manifesta- tions and revelations of the mind of Christ in the gospel. This was fulfilled in Luther's time, and in all those after separations which any of the churches have made from Rome, and from those relics and remains of superstition and will-worship, wherewith themselves and the ordinances of Jesus Christ have been defiled. The third day wherein this prophecy or promise is to be made good, is that universal day, wherein both Jew and 232 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Gentile shall be converted unto the Lord. That day of the restitution of all things, as some good divines conceive when " ten men out of all languages of the nations, shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying. We will go with you ; for we have heard that God is with you." And to what purpose is more fully expressed in the former verses, answering the prophecy in the text. "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, it shall come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities : and the inhabitants of one city 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. Yea. many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord." This I call the universal day, because, as you see, there shall be such an abundance of confluence of cities, and people, and nations, combining together in an holy league and covenant, to seek the Lord. And a perfect day, because the mind 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, and punctual model of the government of Christ in the churches, shall then be let down from Heaven. " The light of the moon being then to be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of His people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." By what hath been spoken, you may perceive under which of these days we are : past indeed the first, but not yet arrived at the third day ; and therefore under the second day, that evangelical day ; yet so, as if all the three days were met together in ours, Avhile it seems to me, that we are upon the dawning of the third day : and this prophecy falling so pat, and full upon our times, as if we were not got beyond the literal ; a little variation will do it. SERMON AT LONDON. 233 The children of Israel, and the children of Judah : Scotland and England, newly coming out of Babylon, antichristian Babylon, papal tyranny and usurpations, in one degree or other, going and weeping in the days of their solemn humiliations, bewailing their backslidings and rebellions, to seek the Lord their God, to seek pardon and reconciliation, to seek His face and favour, not only in the continuance, but in the more full and sweet influential manifestations of His presence among them ; and to that end, asking the way to Zion with their faces thitherward ; that is, inquiring after the pure way of gospel worship, with full purpose of heart ; that when God shall reveal His mind to them, they will conform themselves to His mind according to that blessed prophecy and promise, " He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths." And that they may make all sure, that they may secure God and themselves against all future apostasies and backslidings, calling one upon another, and echoing back one to another : " Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." You see by this time I have changed my text, tho' 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 only to improve the happy advantages it holds forth, for the pursuit and driving on of my present use of exhortation. Come, let us join. To this end therefore, from these words, I will propound and endeavour to satisfy these three queries, i. What? 2. Why? 3. How? L What the duty is, to which they mutually stir up one another ? n. Why, or upon what considerations ? HL 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 2 34 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. the duty in our hands, pressing them on still in an exhorta- tory way. For the first. What the duty is ? Answ. You see that in the text; it is to join themselves to the Lord, by a solemn covenant ; and so is that which we have now in our hands, to join ourselves to the Lord by a covenant ; how far they correspond, will appear in the sequel. This is the first and main end of a covenant between God and His people, as I have shewed you, " to join themselves to the Lord. The sons of the stranger that join themselves to the Lord, and take hold 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 inquire the way to Zion, i.e., to inquire the way and manner, how God would be worshipped ; that they might dishonour and provoke Him no more, by their idolatries and supersti- tions, which had been brought in upon the ordinances of God, by the means of apostate kings, and priests, and prophets, as in Jeroboam's and Ahab's reigns, and for which they had been carried into captivity. And such is the covenant that lies before us : in the first place, as I say, to join ourselves to the Lord, to be knit inseparably 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 Zion ; to inquire and search by all holy means, sanctified to that purpose, what is that pure way of gospel worship ; that we and our children after us may worship the God of spirits, the God of truth, in spirit, and in truth. In spirit opposed to carnal ways of will- worship, and inventions of men ; and in truth, opposed to false hypocritical shews and pretences, since the Father seeks such to worship Him. Now, that this is the main scope and aim of this covenant before us, will appear, if you read and ponder it with due SERMON AT LONDON. 235 consideration ; 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 material objections, which seem to make it inconsistent with these blessed ends and purposes. Attend diligently while I read it to you. (The covenant was then read.) This brethren, is the covenant before us ; to which God and His parliament do invite us this day ; wherein the ends propounded lie fair to every impartial eye. The first article in this covenant, binding us to the reformation of religion ; and the last article, to the reforma- tion of our lives. In both, we join ourselves to the Lord, and swear to ask and receive from His lips the law of this reformation. Truly, this is a why, as well as a what, (that I may a little prevent myself) a motive of the first magnitude. Oh ! for a people or person to be joined 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 privilege of unspeakable worth and excellency. " Seemeth it (said David once to Saul's servants) a small thing in your eyes, to be son-in-law to a king," seeing I am a poor man ? Seemeth it, may I say, a small thing to you, for poor creatures to be joined, and married, as it were, to the great God, the living God ; who are so much worse than nothing, by how much sin is worse than vanity? yea, to be one with Him as Christ saith in that heavenly prayer of His ; as He and His Father are one. '' That they may be one, as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee ; that they also may be one in us." And again, "that they may be one, even as we are one." Yea, perfect in one; not indeed, in the perfection of that unity, but in unity 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 236 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Stands admiring of it. You may read the place at your leisure. But, against this blessed service and truth, are there mustered and led up an whole regiment of objections, under the conduct of the father of Res ; though some of them may seem to have some shadow of truth ; and there- fore so much the more carefully to be examined. I shall deal only with some of the chief commanders of them, if they be conquered the rest will vanish of their own accord. Objections Propounded and Answered. Object . I. If this were the end of this service, yet it were needless : since we have done it over and over again, in our former protestations and covenants ; and so this repetition may seem to be a profanation of so holy an ordinance, by making of it so ordinary, and nothing else, but a taking of God's name in vain. To this I answer. Answ. I. 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 privilege, and not their burden to renew it again, and to make it more full, stable, and impregnable than ever ; " a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten " ; which hints 3. And that is, there was never yet so full and strict a covenant tendered to us since we were a people. Former covenants have had their defect and failings, like the best of God's people : but I may say of this in reference to other covenants, as Solomon of his good house-wife, in reference to other women ; " Other daughters have done well, but thou hast exceeded them all." Other covenants have done well, but this hath exceeded them all ; like Paul among the apostles, it goes beyond them all, though it SERMON AT LONDON. 237 seems to be born out of due time. Now, if your leases and covenants among men be either lame or forfeited; need men persuade you to have them renewed and perfected? Of how much greater concernment is this, between God and us, O ! ye of little faith ? 4. You receive the sacrament of the Lord's supper once a month, and some will not be kept off, tho' they have no part, nor portion in that mystery, say the ministers of Christ what they can ; and the sacrament is but the seal of the covenant; consider it, and be convinced. Object. 2. But secondly, it is objected there be some clauses in this covenant, that serve rather to divide us farther from God, than join us nearer to Him ; as binding us to inquire the way to Zion of men rather than of God ; to receive the law of reformation from Scotland, and other churches, and not from the lips of the great prophet of the churches. In the article, we swear first to maintain the religion, as it is already reformed in Scotland, in doctrine, government, and discipline; wherein, first, the most shall swear they know not what ; and secondly, we swear to conform our- selves here in England, to their government and discipline in Scotland which is presbyterial, and for ought we know, as much tyrannical, and more antichristian than that of prelacy, which we swear to extirpate ; yea, some have not been afraid to call it the Antichrist that is now in the world. Answ. I. To whom I first answer, beseeching them in the bowels of compassion, and spirit of meekness, to take heed of such rash and unchristian censures, least God hear, and it displease Him ; and they themselves possibly be found to commit the sin and incur the woe of them that " call evil good, and good evil." 2. Whereas they object that many shall swear they know not what, the most being totally ignorant of the discipline of Scotland, and very few under- standing it distinctly. I would have these remember and consider two examples in Scripture the one of king Josiah, 238 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, the Other of the women and children in Nehemiah's time. Josiah (as the text tells us) not being above eight years of age, "While he was yet young, began to seek after the Lord God of David his father ; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem," And this purging and reformation he did by covenant, wherein he swore, to " walk after the Lord, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes," Which surely, at that age, we cannot conceive he did distinctly and universally under- stand ; no more could all the men, their wives and their sons, and their daughters, that took the covenant (in Nehemiah's time) understand all things in particular to which that covenant did bind them ; since they did enter into a curse, and an oath, not only to refuse all inter- marriages with the heathen, but also to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord, and His judgments, and His statutes. Surely there were in this multitude, not an inconsiderable number that were not acquainted with all the moral precepts, judicial laws, and ceremonial statutes, which God com- manded the people by the hand of Moses. There be two things I know, that may be replied against these instances, i. That of those women and children in Nehemiah, it is said in the same place, they were of understanding, "Every one having knowledge, and having understanding ; they clave unto their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse." 2. That there is a great difference between the laws and statutes to which they swore, and this government and discipline to which we swear in this covenant. Those laws and statutes were ordained imme- diately of God Himself; and therefore being infallibly right, unquestionably holy, and just, and good, Josiah and the people might lawfully swear observance to them with an implicit faith ; but not so in a government and discipline set SERMON AT LONDON. 239 up by man, by a church, be it never so pure and holy : for their light being but a borrowed light, and they not privileged with an infallible Spirit (as the apostles) their resolutions and ordinances may be liable to mistake and error; and therefore, to swear obser\'ance to them by an implicit faith, is more than comes to their share, and as unwarrantable as it is unsafe for a people or person to do, who are yet ignorant or unsatisfied in the whole, or in any particular. To these objections I rejoin : first, that that description of the covenanters in Nehemiah, that "they were of understanding, and knowledge," supposeth not a distinct actual cognizance of every particular ordinance, judgment, statute, and provision, in all the three laws, moral, judicial, ceremonial, in every one that took the covenant ; that being not only needless but impossible; but it implies only a capacity to receive instruction and information in the things they swore unto, tho' at present they were ignorant of many of the severals contained in that oath. And so far this rule obtains among us ; children that are not yet come to under- standing, and fools, being not admitted to this service, as not capable of instruction. Answ. 2. To the second (tho' more considerable) yet the answer is not very difficult : for, First, We do not swear to observe that discipline, but to preserve it: I may preserve that, which in point of conscience I cannot observe, or not, at least, swear to observe. Second, We swear to preserve it, not in opposition to any other form of government that may be found agreeable to the Word, but in opposition against a common enemy, which is a clause of so wide a latitude, and easy a digestion, as the tenderest conscience need not kick at it; this preservation relating not so much to the government, as to the persons or nation under this government ; not so much to preserve it as to preserve them in it, against a prelatical 240 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. party at home, or a popish party abroad, that should attempt by violence to destroy them, or to force another government upon them, that should be against the "\\'ord of God ; under which latitude, I see not but we might enter into the like covenant with Lutherans, or other reformed churches, whose government, discipline, and worship, is yet exceedingly corrupted with degenerate mixtures. Thirds Neither in the preservation of their government, nor in the reformation of ours, do we swear to any thing of man's ; but to what shall be found to be the mind of Christ. Witness that clause, article i : "According to the word of God :" so that upon the matter, it is no more than Josiah and the people in Nehemiah swore to; namely, "what shall appear to be the statutes and laws which Christ hath left in His Word, concerning the regimen of His church ? " Fourth^ Nay, not so much ; for we are not yet called to swear the observation of any kind of government, that is or shall be presented to us, but to endeavour the reformation of religion in doctrine, worship, discipline, and government, according to the A^'ord of God. In the faithful and impartial search and pursuit whereof, if Scotland, or any of the reformed churches, can hold us forth any clearer light than our own, we receive it not as our rule, but as such an help to expound our rule, as Christ Himself hath allowed us. In which case, we are bound to kiss not the lips only, but the very feet of them that shall be able to shew us "the way to Zion." So that still, it is not the voice of the churches but of Christ in the churches, that we covenant to listen to, in this pursuit ; that is to say, that we will follow them, as they follow Christ : and when all is done, and a reformation (through the assistance and blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ, that great king and prophet of His church) resolved on according to this rule thus interpreted, under what notion or obligation the observation of it shall be commended SERMON AT LONDON. 24I to US, sub judice lis est^ it is yet in the bosom and breast of authority ; we are as yet called to swear to nothing in this kind. ► So much in reference to the instances. Answ. 3. I answer further to the satisfying of this second doubt, that by this covenant, we are bound no more to conform to Scotland, than Scotland to us : the stipulation being mutual, and this stipulation binding us not so much to conform one to another, as both of us to the Word ; wherein, if we can meet, who would not look upon it, as upon the precious fruit of Christ's prayer : " That they might be one, as we are one ? " and the beauty and safety of both nations, and of as many of the churches as the Lord our God shall persuade to come into this holy and blessed association ? Object. 3. A third objection falls upon the second article or branch of this covenant ; wherein it is feared by some, that we swear to extirpate that which, for ought we know, upon due inquiry, may be found the way to Zion, the way of evangelical government, which Christ and His apostles have set up in the church. Answ. Where lies that, think you ? In what clause or word of the article ? Who can tell ? Surely not in popery ; or if there be any that think that the way, I would wish their persons in Rome, since their hearts are there already. Is it in superstition ? Nay, superstition properly consisteth in will-worship, "teaching for doctrine the traditions of men ; " this cannot be the way to Zion, which Christ hath chalked out to us in His word. No more can heresy, which is the opposition to sound doctrine ; nor schism, which is the rent of the church's peace ; nor profaneness, the poison of her conversation. None but superstitious heretics, schismatics, profane persons, will call these the way to Zion ; nor these neither, under the name and notion of superstition, heresy, schism, profaneness ; for the heretic will not call his doctrine heresy ; nor the superstitious, his innovation superstition ; nor the schismatic, his turbulent Q 242 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. practices schism ; nor lastly, the profane person, his lewd- ness profaneness ; tho' they love the thing, they hate the name. And this, before we go further, occasions another objec- tion, which you must give me leave both to make and answer in a parenthesis, and then I will return. Object. How can we swear the extirpation of these, since, who shall be judge ? While some will be ready to call that schism and superstition, which is not ; and others deny that to be heresy, superstition, schism, which is ? Attsw. I. To which I answer. By the same argument, we ought not to covenant against popery and drunkenness, sabbath-breaking, nor any other sin whatsoever, there being nothing so gross but it will find some friends to justify, and plead for it ; which if we shall not condemn till all parties be agreed on the verdict, we shall never proceed to judg- ment, while the world stands. 2. The word must be the rule and the judge, say men what they ^\t^^Q, pro or con. 3. And if the matter be indeed so disputable, that it lies not in my faculty to pronounce sentence, I have my dispensation to suspend, till the world determine the controversy. I now return ; if then in none of these, the doubt must of necessity lie in that word prelacy. And is that indeed the way of gospel government ? Is that it indeed which bears away the bell of Jure divino ? A\'hat is it then that hath destroyed all gospel order, and government and worship, in these kingdoms, as in other places of the Christian world, even down to the ground ? Hath it not been prelacy? What is it that hath taken down a teaching ministry, and set up in the room a teaching- ceremony? Is it not prelacy? What is it that hath silenced, suspended, imprisoned, deprived, banished, so many godly, learned, able ministers of the gospel ; yea, and killed some of them with their unheard of cruelties, and SERMON AT LONDON. 243 thrust into their places idol, idle shepherds ; dumb dogs that cannot bark (unless it were at the flock of Christ ; so they learned of their masters, both to bark and bite too) greedy dogs that could never have enough, that did tear out the loins and bowels of their own people for gain, heap living upon living, preferment upon preferment ; swearing, drunken, unclean priests, that taught nothing but rebellion in Israel, and caused people to abhor the sacrifice of the Lord : Arminian, popish, idolatrous, vile wretches, such as, had Job been alive, he would not have set with the dogs of his flock ; who, I say, brought in these ? Did not prelacy ? What hath hindered the reformation of religion all this while in doctrine, government, and worship ? Prelacy, a generation of men they were, that never had a vote for Jesus Christ ; yea, what hath poisoned and adulterated religion in all these branches, and hath let in popery and profaneness upon the kingdom like a flood, for the raising of their own pomp and greatness, but prelacy ? In a word, prelacy it is, that hath set its impure and imperious feet, one upon the church, the other upon the state, and hath made both serve as Pharaoh did the Israelites, with rigour. Surely, their government hath been a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. Now, that which hath done this, and a thousand times more violence and mischief to Christ and His people, than the tongue or pen of man is able to express ; can that be the way of or to Zion ? Can that be the government of Christ and His Church ? Object. Aye, but there be that will tell us, these have been the faults of the persons, and not of the calling ? Answ. I. So cry some indeed, that ye like the men, as well as their calling, and would justify the persons as well as the oflice, but that their wickedness is made so manifest that impudency itself cannot deny it. But is it indeed only the fault of the men, not of the calling? What meant then that 244 THE sole:\in league and covenant. saying of queen Elizabeth, "That when she had made a bishop, she had spoiled a preacher ? " Was it only a jest ? 2. And I wish we had not too just cause to add, the man too. Surely of the most of them we may say, as once Arnobius spake of the Gentiles, apiid vos optt?ni censentur quos comparatio pessinwriim sic facit. Give me leave to vary it a little : he was a good bishop, that was not the worst man ; but if there were some of a better complexion, who yet, appare?it rari nantes in gutgite vasto, were very rarely discovered in their episcopal see; yet, 3. Look into their families, and they were for the most part the vilest in the diocese, a very nest of unclean birds ; and, 4. If you had looked into their courts and consistories, you would liave thought you had been in Caiaphas' hall, where no other trade was driven but the crucifying of Christ in His members. 5. But fifthly, produce me one in this last succession of bishops (I hope the last) that had not his hands imbrued more or less in the blood of the faithful ministry, (I say not ministers, but ministry) produce a man amongst them all, that durst be so conscientious as to lay down his bishoprick, rather than he would lay violent hands upon a non-conforming minister, though he had failed but in one point of their compass of ceremonies, when their great master, the pope of Canterbury, commanded it, although both for life, learning, and orthodox religion, their consci- ences did compel them to confess with Pilate, " we find no fault in this just person." I say, produce me such a bishop amongst the whole bunch, in this latter age, and I will down on my knees, and ask them forgiveness. Oh ! it was sure a mischievous poisoned soil, in which, whatsoever plant was set did hardly ever thrive after. 5. But yet further, was not the calling as bad as the men ? You may as well say so of the papacy in Rome, for surely the prelacy of England, which we swore to extirpate, was the very same fabric and model of ecclesiastical regimen, that is in that SERMON AT LONDON. 245 Antichristian world ; yea, such an evil it is that some divines, venerable for their great learning, as well as for their eminent holiness, did conceive sole episcopal jurisdic- tion to be the very seat of the beast, upon which the fifth angel is now pouring out his vial, which is the reason that the men of that kingdom "gnaw their tongues for pain, and blaspheme the God of heaven." Object. Aye, but it is therefore pleaded further against this clause, that although it may be prelacy with all its adjuncts and accidents of archbishops, chancellors, and commissaries, deans, &c., may have haply been the cause of these evils that have broken in upon us, and perhaps Antichristian ; yet should we therefore swear the extirpation of all prelacy, or episcopacy whatsoever ; since there may be found perhaps in scripture an episcopacy or prelacy, which, circumcised from these exuberant members and officers, may be that government Christ hath bequeathed His church in the time of the gospel ? Afiszv, Now we shall quickly close this business. For, I. It is this prelacy, thus clothed, thus circumstanced, which we swear to extirpate ; read else the clause again, prelacy, that is, church government by archbishops, bishops, their chancellors. Not every, or all kinds of prelacy ; not prelacy in the latitude of the notion thereof. 2. And secondly, let us join issue upon this point, and make no more words of it ; if there be an episcopacy or prelacy found in the Word, as the way of gospel-government, which Christ hath bequeathed the churches, and this be made appear, we are so far from swearing to extirpate such a prelacy, as that rather we are bound by virtue of this oath to entertain it, as the mind and will of Jesus Christ. And this might suffice to warrant our covenanting to extirpate this prelacy, save that only. Yet some seem conscientiously to scruple this in the last place. Object. That they see not what there is to warrant 246 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. our swearing, to extirpate that which is established by the law of the land, till the same law have abolished it. To which I answer, i. If the law of the land had abolished it, we need not swear the extirpation of it. 2. In this oath, the parliaments of both kingdoms go before us, who, having the legislative power in their hands, have also potestatem vitce et iiecis^ over laws, as well as over persons, and may as well put to death the evil laws that do offend against the kingdom and the welfare of it, as the evil persons that do offend against the laws. 3. Who therefore, thirdly, if they may lawfully annul and abolish laws that are found to sin against the law of God, and the good of the kingdom may as lawfully bind themselves by an oath, to use the uttermost of their endeavours to annul and abolish those laws ; their oath being nothing else but a solemn engagement to endeavour to perform what they have warrantably resolved upon ; and with the same equity may they bind the kingdom to assist them in so doing. 4. Which is all that the people are engaged to by this covenant. Not to outrun the parliament in this extirpation, but to follow and serve them in it, by such concurrence as they may expect from each person in their stations and callings ; for that clause, expressed in the first and third article, is to be understood in all. Object. If it be yet objected, that the members of parlia- ment have, at one time or other, sworn to preserve the laws ; and therefore to swear to endeavour the extirpation of prelacy, which is established by law, is to contradict their own oath and run the hazard of perjury : it is easy for any one to observe and answer, i. That by the same argument, neither may king and parliament together change or annul a law, though found destructive to the good of the kingdoms, since his majesty, as well as his subjects, are bound up under the same oath at his coronation. 2. But again, there is a vast difference between the members of SERMON AT LONDON. 247 parliament, simply considered in their private capacities, wherein they may be supposed to take an oath to maintain the laws of the land ; and that public capacity of a parlia- ment, whereby they are judges of those laws, and may, as I said before, endeavour the removal of such as are found pernicious to the church or state, and make such as will advantage the welfare of others ; his majesty being bound by his coronation-oath, to confirm these laws, w^hich the commons shall agree upon and present unto his majesty. Object. Aye, but it seems this objection lies full and strong upon them that stand in their single private stations, I answer, that if there be any such oath, which yet I have never seen nor heard of, unless the objection mean that clause in the late parliament protestation, wherein we vow and protest to maintain and defend the lawful rights and liberties of the subject ; surely, neither in that nor this, do we swear against a lawful endeavour to get any such laws or clause of the law repealed and abolished, which is found a wrong, rather than a right, and the bondage, rather than the liberty of the subject, as prelacy was. Had we indeed taken the bishop's oath, or the like, never to have given our consent to have the government by episcopacy changed or altered, we had brought ourselves into a woful snare ; but, blessed be God, that snare is broken, and we are escaped; while, in the mean time without all doubt, the subject may as lawfully use all lawful means to get that law removed, which yet he hath promised or sworn to obey, while it remains, when it proves prejudicial to the public safety and welfare ; as a poor captive, that hath peradventure sworn obedience to the Turk, (while he remains in his possession) may notwithstanding use all fair endeavours for an escape or ransom. Or a prentice that is bound to obey his master; yet, when he finds his service turned into a bondage, may use lawful means to obtain his freedom. But once more to answer both objections ; it is worth 248 THE SOLEMN LEACxUE AND COVENANT. your inquiry, whether the plea of a legal establishment of this prelacy, sworn against in this covenant, be not rather a tradition, than any certain or confessed truth. Sure I am, we have it from the hands of persons of worth and honour ; the ablest secretaries of laws and antiquities in our kingdom, that there is no such law or statute to be found upon the file, among our records. Which assertion, if it cannot find faith, we will once more join issue with the patrons or followers of this prelacy, upon this point, that when they produce that law or statute which doth enact and establish prelacy, as it is here branched in the article, we will then give them a fuller answer, or yield the question. To conclude therefore, since this prelacy in the article, this many headed monster of archbishops, bishops, their chancellors and commissaries, deans, deans and chapters, archdeacons, and all other ecclesiastical officers depending on that hierarchy, is the beast, wherewith we fight in this covenant, which hath been found so destructive to church and state ; let us not fear to take this sword of the covenant of God into our hands, and say to this enemy of Christ, as Samuel said once to Agag, (at what time he said within himself, " surely the bitterness of death is past ") " As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women." So hath prelacy flattered itself, finding such a party to stand up on its side among the rotten lords and commons, the debauched gentry, and abased people of the kingdom : " Surely the bitterness of death is past." " I sit as a queen, and shall not know widow- hood, or loss of children." In the midst of this security and pride, the infallible forerunners of her downfall, let us call her forth, and say, as thy sword, prelacy, hath made many women childless, many a faithful minister peopleless, houseless and libertyless, their wives husbandless, their children and their congregations fatherless, and pastorless, and guideless ; so thy mother, papacy, shall be made SERMON AT LONDON. 249 childless among harlots, your diocese bishopless, and your sees lordless, and your places shall know you no more. Come, my brethren, I say, and fear not to take this Agag, (prelacy, I mean, not the prelates) and hew it in pieces before the Lord. Object. '4. A fourth and main objection that troubles many, is, that in the following article there are divers things of another nature that should fall within the compass of such a covenant, as that which the text holds forth, "to join ourselves to the Lord." There be state-matters, and such too, as are full of doubt, and perhaps of danger, to be sworn unto. I shall answer, first, the general charge, and then some of the particulars which are most material. In general, I answer, there is nothing in the body of this covenant which is not either purely religious, or which lies not in a tendency to religion, conducing to the securing and promoting thereof. And as, in the expounding the commandments, divines take this rule, that that command which forbids a sin, forbids also all the conducibles and provocations to that sin, all the tendencies to it: and that command which enjoins a duty, enjoins all the mediums and advancers to that duty ; circumstances fall within the latitude of the command : so in religious covenants, not only those things which are of the substance and integrals of religion, but even the collaterals and subserviences that tend either to the establishing or advancing of religion, may justly be admitted within the verge and pale of the covenant. The cities of refuge had their suburbs appointed by God, as well as their habitations, and even they also were counted holy. The rights and privileges of the parliaments, and the liberties of the kingdom, mentioned in the third article; they are the suburbs of the gospel, and an inheritance bequeathed by God to nations and kingdoms, and, under that notion, holy. Concerning which a people may lawfully reply to the unjust demands of emperors, kings, or states. 250 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. as Naboth once to Ahab, when demanded to yield up his vineyard to his majesty : " God forbid, that I should give the inheritance of my father." These be the outworks of religion, the lines of communication, as I may so say, for the defence of this city ; which the prelates well knew, and therefore you see, it was their great design first, by policy to have surprised, and, when that would not do, then, by main strength of battle, to storm these out-works : well knowing, that if they once had won these, they should quickly be masters also of the holy city, religion itself, and do what they listed. And, therefore, the securing of these must of necessity be taken into the same councils and covenant with religion itself. This premised in general, we shall easily and apace satisfy the particular scruples and queries as I go. I. Scruple. The most part that swear this covenant are in a great degree, if not totally, ignorant what the rights and privileges of the parliament, and the liberties of the kingdoms are, and how can they then swear to maintain they know not what ? I. By the same argument no man, or very few, might lawfully swear to maintain the king's prerogatives in the paths of allegiance and supremacy ; nor the king himself swear to maintain the liberties of the subject, as he doth in his oath at his coronation. 2. But there is hardly any person so ignorant but knows there are privileges belonging to the parliaments, and liberties belonging to the subject. 3. And that it is the duty of every subject, according to his place and power, to maintain these ; so that, in taking of this covenant, we swear to do no more than our duty binds us to ; in which there is no danger, tho' we do not in every point know how far that duty extends in every branch and several thereof. 4. In swearing to do my duty, whether to God or man, if I be ignorant of many particulars, I oblige myself to these two things, i. To use the best means to SERMON AT LONDON. 25 1 inform myself of the particulars. 2. To conform myself to what I am informed to be my duty. Which yet, in the case in hand, doth admit of a further latitude, namely, that which lies in the very word and letter of this article (as in most of the rest) in our several vocations ; which doth not bind every one to the same degree of knowledge, nor the same way of preservation : as for example, I do not conceive every magistrate is bound to know so much, no, nor to endeavour to know so much, as parliament- men ; nor every member of parliament so much as judges ; nor ministers so much as the lawyers ; nor ordinary people so much as ministers ; nor servants so much as masters ; nor all to preserve them the same way ; parliament-men by demanding them, lawyers by pleading, judges by giving the sense and mind of the law, ministers by preaching, magis- trates by defending, people by assisting, praying, yielding obedience. All, if the exigencies arise so high, and the state call for it, by engaging their estates and lives, in case they be invaded by an unlawful power. And in case of ignorance, the thing we bind ourselves to is this, that if at any time any particular shall be in question, what the parliament shall make appear to be their right or the liberty of the subject, we promise to contribute such assistance for the preservation or reparation thereof, as the nature of the thing, and wisdom of the state shall call for at our hands, in our several places. 2. Scruple, But some are offended, while they conceive in the same article, that the clause wherein we swear the preservation and defence of the king's person and authority, doth lie under some restraint, by that limitation ; in the preservation and defence of the true religion, and the liberties of the kingdom. To which we reply. i. It maintains him as far as he is a king : he may be a man, but sure no king, without the lists and verge of religion and laws, it being religion and laws that make him a king. 2. 252 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. It maintains his person and estate, as far as his majesty himself doth desire and expect to be defended; for, sure his justice cannot desire to be defended against, but in the preservation of religion and laws ; and his wisdom cannot expect it, since he cannot believe that they will make conscience of defending his person, who make no conscience of preserving religion and the laws ; I mean, when the ruin of his person and authority may advance their own cursed designs. They that, for their ends, will defend his person and authority against religion and liberties of the kingdom, will with the same conscience defend their own ends against his person and authority, when they have power in their hands. The Lord deliver his majesty from such defenders, by what names or titles soever they be called. 3. Who doubts but that religion and laws, (wherein the rights and Uberties of kingdoms are bound up) are the best security of the persons and authority of kings and governors ? And the while kings will defend these, these will defend kings ? It being impossible that princes should suffer violence or indignity, while they are within the munition of religion and laws ; or if the prince suffer, these must of necessity suffer with him. 4. I make a question, whether this limitation lie any more upon the defence of the king's person and authority, than it doth upon the rights and privileges of parliaments, and the liberties of the kingdom, since there is no point or stop in the article to appropriate it more to the defence of the king's person and authority, than to the preservation of the rights and privileges of the parliaments, and the liberties of the kingdoms ? 5. And lastly, this clause is not to be understood exclusive, as excluding all other cases wherein the kingdoms stand bound to preserve his majesty's person and authority, but only as expressing that case wherein the safety of his person and authority doth most highly concern both king and kingdoms, especially at such a time as this is, when both are SERMON AT LONDON. 253 SO furiously and implacably encountered by a malignant army of desperate parricides, papists, and their prelatical party. These objections answered, and difficulties removed, we proceed to the examining of the rest of the particulars, in the following articles. The discovery of incendiaries or malignants that have been, or shall be, to which the fourth article binds us : doth it not lie also in a necessary tendency to the securing and preserving of this covenant inviolable with the most high God, in point of reformation ? For can we hope a thorough reformation, according to the mind of Christ, if opposers of reformation may escape scot-free, undiscovered and unpunished? Or, can we indeed love or promote a reformation, and in the mean time counte- nance or conceal the enemies of it ? This is clear, yet it wants not a scruple, and that peradventure which may trouble a sincere heart. Object. It is this, having once taken this oath, if we hear a friend, or brother, yea, perhaps a father, a husband, or a wife, let fall a word of dislike of the parliament, oi- assembly's proceedings in either kingdom ; or that discovers another judgment, or opinion ; or a word of passion unad- visedly uttered, and do not presently discover and complain of it, we pull upon ourselves the guilt or danger of perjury, which will be a mighty snare to thousands of well affected people. To which I answer. i. The objection lays the case much more narrow than the words of the article, which distinguisheth the incendiary or malignant, which is to be discovered by a three-fold character, or note of malignity. First, Hindering the reformation of religion. Seco?idIy, Dividing the king from his people, or one kingdom from another. Thirdly^ Making any faction or parties amongst the people, contrary to the league and covenant. Now, 254 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. every dislike of some passage in parliament or assembly's proceedings ; every dissent in judgment and opinion ; every rash word or censure, that may possibly be let fall through passion and inadvertency, will not amount to so high a degree of malignity as is here expressed, nor consequently bring one within the compass of this oath and covenant. A suitable^ and seasonable caution or conviction may suffice in such a case. 2. But, suppose the malignity to arise to that height here expressed in any of the branches thereof: I do not conceive the hrst work this oath of God binds us to, is to make a judicial discovery thereof: while, without controversy, our Saviour's rule of dealing with our brethren in cases of offence is not here excluded; which is, i. To see what personal admonition will do ; which, toward a superior, as husband, parent, master, or the like, must be managed with all wisdom and reverence. If they hear us, we have made a good day's work of it ; we have gained our brother ; if not, then the rule directs us yet. 2. In the second place, to take with us two or three more ; if they do the deed, thou mayest sit down with peace and thankfulness. 3. If, after all this, the party shall persist in destructive practices to hinder reforma- tion, to divide the king from his people, or one kingdom from another ; or lastly, to make factions or parties among the people ; be it the man of thine house, the husband of thy youth, the wife of thy bosom, the son of thy loins : " Levi must know neither father nor mother," private relations must give way to public safety ; thou must with all faithful- ness endeavour the discovery, thine "eye must not pity nor spare." It is a case long since stated by God Himself; and when complaint is made to any person in authority, the plaintiff is discharged, and the matter rests upon the hands of authority. Provided, notwithstanding, that there be, in the use of all the former means, that latitude allowed which the apostle gives in case of heresy; "A first and second SERMON AT LONDON. 255 admonition." This course, not only the rule of our Saviour in general, but the very words of the covenant itself, doth allow, for, though the clause be placed in the sixth article, yet it hath reference to all, viz., " What we are not able our- selves to suppress or overcome, we shall reveal and make known." So that, if the malignity fall within our own or our friends' ability to conquer, we have discharged our duty to God and the kingdoms, and may sit down with comfort in our bosoms. That which remains in the other two articles, I cannot see how it affords any occasion of an objection ; and the refer- ence it hath to the reformation and preservation of religion, is easy and clear to any eye, that is not wilfully blind ; the preservation of peace between the two kingdoms, in the fifth article, being the pillar of religion ; for how can religion and reformation stand, if any blind malignant Samson be suffered to pull down the pillars of peace and union ? Besides, it was a branch of that very covenant in the text, as well as of that in our hands. The children of Israel and Judah, which had a long time been disunited, and in that disunion had many bloody and mortal skirmishes and battles, now at length by the good hand of God upon them, take counsel to join themselves, first one to another, and then both unto God. Let us "join ourselves," and then to " the Lord, in a perpetual covenant." Surely, not only this copy in the text, but the wormwood and the gall of our civil combustions and wars, which our souls may have in remembrance to our dying day, and be humbled within us, may powerfully persuade us to a cheerful engagement of ourselves, for the preservation of a firm peace and union between the kingdoms, to all posterity. And lastly, as peace is the pillar of religion, so mutual assistance and defence of all those that enter into this league and covenant, in the maintaining and pursuance thereof, (mentioned in that sixth and last article) is the pillar of that 256 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. peace, divide et impera ; desert one another, and we expose ourselves to the lusts of our enemies. And who can object against the securing of ourselves, and the state, against a detestable indifferency or neutrality, but they must, ipso facto, proclaim to all the world that they intend before-hand to turn neutrals or apostates ? To conclude, therefore, having thus examined the several articles of the covenant, and the material clauses in those articles ; and finding them to be, if not of the same nature, yet of the same design with the preface and conclusion ; the one whereof, as I told you, at the entrance, obligeth us to the reformation of religion ; the other, of our lives, as serving to the immediate and necessary support and perfecting of these blessed and glorious ends and purposes : I shall need to apologise no further in the vindicating and asserting of this covenant before us. Could we be so happy, as to bring hearts suitable to this service : could we set up such aims and ends as the covenant holds forth ; the glory of God, the good of the kingdoms, and honour of the king, to which, this covenant, and every several part thereof, doth humbly prostrate itself, all would conspire to make us and our posterity after us, an happy and glorious people to all generations. To them that object out of conscience, these poor resolu- tions may afford some relief, if not satisfaction ; or, if these slender endeavours fall short of my design, and the reader's desires herein, I shall send them to their labours, who have taken more able and fruitful pains in this subject. To them that object out of a spirit of bitterness and malignity, nothing will suffice. He that is resolved to err, is satisfied with nothing but that which strengthens his error. And these I leave to such arguments and convictions, which the wisdom and justice of authority shall judge more proper; while I proceed to the second query propounded, for the managing of this use of exhortation ; Why ? Or, upon what SERxMON AT LONDON. 257 considerations we may be persuaded to undertake this service ? To enter into this holy covenant. And the first motive that may engage us hereunto is the consideration, how exceedingly God hath been dishonoured among us, by all sorts of covenant-violation, as hath been formerly discovered at large ; in the avenging whereof, the angel of the covenant stands, as once at the door of paradise, with a flaming sword in his hand, ready to cut us off, and cast us out of this garden of God— this good land wherein He hath planted us thus long. I may say unto you therefore, concerning ourselves, as once Moses in another case, concerning Miriam ; " If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed ? " If our father had but spit in our face by some inferior correction, should we not be ashamed? Ought we not to be greatly humbled before Him ? How much more, when "He hath poured out upon us the fury of His wrath, and it hath burned us ; and the strength of battle, and it hath set on fire round about ? " Should we not lay it to heart, and use all means to pacify the fierceness of His anger, lest it burn down to the very foundations of the land, and none be able to quench it ? Yea, secondly, a wonderful mercy, and an high favour we may count it from God, that yet such a sovereign means is left us for our recovery and reconciliation. Infinite condescension and goodness it is in our God that, after so many fearful provocations by our unhallowed and treacherous dealing in the covenant. He will vouchsafe yet to have any thing to do with us, that He will yet trust or try us any more, by admitting us to renew our covenant with His Majesty, when He might in justice rather say unto us, as to the wicked, " What have you to do, that you should take My covenant into your mouths, seeing you hate instruction, and cast My words behind you?" Certainly, had man broken with us, as oft as we have broken with God, we should ne^-er trust them any more, but account them as the off-scouring R 258 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. of mankind, the vilest, the basest that ever trode upon God's ground; and yet that after so many unworthy and treacherous departures from our God, after so much unfaithfulness and perfidiousness in the covenant, (such as it is not in the capacity of one man to be guilty of towards another) that God should say to us, as once to His own people, " Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers ; yet return to Me, saith the Lord : " Oh, wonder of free grace ! Oh, might this privilege be offered to the apostate angels, which kept not the covenant of their creation, nor consequently their first estate, and to the rest of the damned souls in hell ! Would God send an angel from heaven to preach unto them a second covenant, upon the laying hold whereon, and closing wherewith, they might be received into grace and favour; how would those poor damned spirits bestir themselves ! what rattling of their red-hot chains ! what shaking of their fiery locks ! In a word, what an uproar of joy would there be in hell, upon such glad tidings ! how many glorious churches, as Capernaum, Bethsaida, the seven churches of Asia, with others in latter times, who have for their covenant-violation been cast down from the top of heaven, where once they sat in the beauty and glory of the ordinances, to the very bottom of hell, a dark and doleful condition ; and God hath never spoken such a word of comfort, nor made any such offer of recovery, and reconcihation unto them, as He hath done to us unto this day ? " Surely He hath not dealt so with any people." Let it be our wisdom, and our thankfulness, to accept of it, with both hands ; yea, both with hands and hearts. If God give us hearts suitable to this price that is in our hands, covenanting hearts, as He gives us yet leave and opportunity to renew our covenant, it will be to me a blessed security that we are not yet a lost people ; and a new argument of hope, that He intends to do England good. If neglected and despised, whether this SERMON AT LONDON. 259 may not be the last time that ever England shall hear from God, I much doubt, unless it be in such a voice as that is, "I would have healed England, and she will not be healed ; because I would have purged thee, and thou art not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused My fury to rest upon thee." The Lord forbid such a thing : " for, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation ? " Thirdly, We may be mightily encouraged to this service, in as much as it is prophesied of, as the great duty and privilege of gospel-times. You see the evangelical day, is one of those days wherein this prophecy and promise must be fulfilled. And it is the same privilege and happiness which was prophesied of, under the type of the sticks made one, in the hand of the prophet Ezekiel, (Ezek. xxxvii. 16. 22.) For, though in the Hteral sense, it be to be understood, as it is expressed, of the happy re-union of that unhappy divided seed of Jacob, Joseph and Ephraim, Israel and Judah ; yet in a gospel sense, it is to be applied to the churches of Jesus Christ, in the latter days, which tho' formerly divided and miserably torn by unnatural quarrels, and wars, yet Christ, the King of the Church, hath a day wherein He will make them one in His own hand : the great and gracious design which we humbly conceive Christ hath now upon these two nations, England and Scotland, even after all their sad divisions and civil discords, to make them one in His right hand, to all generations. And this gives me assurance, that the work shall go on and prosper, yea, prosper gloriously, it having a stronger foundation to support it than heaven and earth, for they are upheld but by a word of power. But this work, which is called the new heavens and the new earth, is upheld by a word of promise ; for " we, according to His promise, look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness." I say, by a word of prophecy and 2 6o THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. promise, which, it seems, is stronger than God Himself; for His word binds Him, so that He can as soon deny Himself, as deny His promise. There shall be therefore an undoubted accomplishment of these things, which are told us from the Lord. God will find, or make a people, who shall worship Him in this holy ordinance ; and upon whom He will make good all the mercy and truth ; all the peace and salvation which is bound up in it : only therefore let me caution and beseech you, not to be wanting to yourselves and your own happiness : " Judge not yourselves unworthy of such a privilege," nor "'reject the counsel of God against your own souls ; sin not against your own mercies," by withdrawing yourselves from this service, or rebelling against it. " God will exclude none, that do not exclude them- selves." Yea, further, this seems to speak an argument of hope, that the calling of the Jews, and the fulness of the Gentiles, is not far behind ; inasmuch as God begins now to pour out His promise in the text upon the churches, in a more eminent manner than ever we, or our fathers, saw it in a gospel sense : and, surely, gospel performance must make way for that full and universal accomplishment thereof, which shall unite " Israel and Judah, Jew and Gentile, in one perpetual covenant unto the Lord, that shall never be forgotten." The gospel day is nothing else but the dawning of that great universal day in the text, wherein God will make one glorious Church of Jew^ and Gentile ; the day star whereof is now risen in our horizon : so that I am humbly confident that the same shores shall not bound this covenant, which bound the two now covenanting nations ; but, as it is said of the gospel, so it will be verified of this gospel covenant ; " The sound thereof will go into all the earth, and the words of it to the ends of the world." There is a spirit of prophecy that doth animate this covenant, which will make it swift and active ; swift to run : " His word runs very swiftly." And active, to work deliverance SERMON AT LONDON. 261 and safety not only to these two kingdoms, but to all other Christian churches groaning under, or in danger of, the yoke of Antichristian tyranny, whom God shall persuade to join in the same, or like association and covenant. So that, me-thinks, all that travail with the Psalmist's desire " of seeing the good of God's chosen, and rejoicing in the gladness of His nation, and glorying with His inheritance," will certainly rejoice in this day, and in the goodness of God which hath crowned it with the accomplishment of such a precious promise as here lies before us : while none can withdraw from, much less oppose, this service, but such as bear evil will to Zion, and would be unwilling to see the ruin and downfall of Antichrist, which this blessed covenant doth so evidently threaten. Fourthly, This hath been the practice of all the churches of God, before and since Christ ; after their apostasies, and captivities for those apostasies, and recoveries out of these captivities, the first thing they did was to cement them- selves to God, by a more close, entire, and solemn covenant than ever. Nehemiah, Ezra, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Josiah, will all bring in clear evidences to witness this practice. This, latter churches have learned of them, Germany, France, Scotland. But what shall I need to mention the churches, whenas the God of the churches took this course Himself; who, when He pleases to become the God of any people or person, it is by covenant ; as with Abraham, " Behold, I make a covenant with thee." And whatever mercies He bestows upon them, it is by covenant. All the blessings of God's people are covenant blessings : to wicked men, God gives with His left hand, out of the basket of common providence ; but to His saints, He dispenseth with His right hand, out of the ark of the covenant. " I will make an everlasting covenant w4th you, even the sure mercies of David." Yea, which is yet more to our purpose, when the first 262 THE SOLE^IN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. covenant proved not, but miscarried, not by any fault that was in the Covenant-Maker, no, nor simply in the covenant itself; for, if man could have kept it, it would have given him life; I say, when it was broken, God makes a new covenant with His people. " Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers, which My covenant they brake. . . . But this shall be the covenant, ... I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be My people." Because they could not keep the first covenant, God made a second that should keep them. Oh ! that while we are making a covenant with our God, He would please to make such a covenant with us ; so would it be indeed a "perpetual covenant, that should not be forgotten." Well, you see we have a covenanting God, a covenant-making God, and a covenant-renewing God ; be we " followers of God, as dear children :" let us be a covenanting people, a covenant making, a covenant-renewing people ; and as our God, finding fault with the first, let us make a "new covenant, even a perpetual covenant, that shall never be forgotten." K fifth motive to quicken us to this duty, may be even the practice of the Antichristian state and kingdom ; popery hath been dexterous to propagate and spread itself by this means. What else have been all their fraternities and brotherhoods, and societies, but so many associations and combinations politic, compacted and obliged, by oaths and covenants, for the advancing of the Catholic cause, whereby nations and kingdoms ha\ e been subdued to the obedience of the Roman mitre? And prelacy (that whelp) hath learned this policy of its mother papacy (that lioness) to corroborate and raise itself to that height, we have seen and suffered by these artifices ; while, by close combinations among themselves, and swearing to their obedience, all the inferior priesthood, and church-ofiicers, by ordination-engagements and oaths^of canonical obedience, a few have been able to impose their SERMON AT LONDON. 263 own laws and canons, upon a whole kingdom ; yea, upon three kingdoms, it being an inconsiderable company, either of ministers or people (the Lord be merciful to us in this thing) that have had eyes to discover the mystery of iniquity, which these men have driven ; and much more inconsider- able, that have had hearts to oppose and withstand their tyranny and usurpations. And why may not God make use of the same stratagem to ruin their kingdom, which they used to build it ? Yea, God hath seemed to do it already, while in that place where they cast that roaring canon, and formed their cursed oath, for the establishing their Babel prelacy, with its endless perpetuity. In the very same place hath this covenant been debated and voted, once, and a second time, by command of public authority, 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 Lord's deliverance, which, as it hath pierced to the very heart of prelacy, so it may also give a mortal wound to the papacy itself, of which it will never be healed by the whole college of physicians (the Jesuits), who study the complexion and health of that Babylonian harlot. In the sixth and last place, the good success this course hath found in the churches, may encourage us with much cheerfulness and confidence to undertake this service. It hath upon it a probatum est, from all that ever conscien- tiously 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 th time it was of any esteem and credit amongst them. It brings letters of testimonial 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 physicians in Christendom had given 264 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. them over. It is very remarkable. 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 biing you into the bond," "And I will purge out." The walls of Jericho have fallen flat before it. The dagon of the bishop's service-book broke its neck before this ark of the covenant. Prelacy and prerogative have bowed down, and given up the ghost at its feet. What a reformation hath followed at the heels of this glorious ordinance ! and truly, even among us, as poorly and lamely, and brokenly, as it hath been managed among us. I am confident, we had given up the ghost before this time, had it not been for this water of life. Oh ! what glorious success might we expect, if we did make such cheerful, such holy, such conscientious addresses, as become the law of so solemn an ordinance ! truly, could I see such a willing people in this day of God's power, as are here in the text, encouraging and engaging one another, in an holy conspiracy; "Come, let us join ourselves to the Lord, in a perpetual covenant ;" I have faith enough to promise and prophesy to you in the name of the Lord, and in the words of His servant Haggai, " From this very day I will bless you." And that you may know of what sovereignty this ordinance is ; take notice of this, that this is the last physic that ever the church shall take or need ; it lies clear in the text ; for it is an everlasting covenant ; and therefore the last that ever shall be made. After the full and final accomplishment of this promise and duty, the church shall be of so excellent a complexion, that " the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick : the people that dwell therein, shall be forgiven their iniquity." The Lord make it such physic to us for Christ's sake. THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. SERMON AT LONDON. BY THOMAS CASE. I COME now to the third query, how? And this inquiry divides itself into two branches — How to (I.) Acceptation and (II.) Perpetuity? For the satisfying of both which, I will fetch 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. In the first place, we must inquire how this duty may be so managed, that God may accept of us in the doing of it ? How to acceptation ? Now, in the general, we must know that this service, being an ordinance of God, must be undertaken and managed with an ordinance frame of heart, /. e. according to the laws and rules of divine 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 addressments to the holy things of (;od. In particular. First, We are to come to this service, with the most ponderous advisedness, and most serious delibera- tion of judgment, that may be. It is one of those grand qualifications which God Himself calls for to an oath. "Thou shalt swear in truth, in judgment, and in righteous- 2 66 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. ness." In truth for the matter, and that we have already examined in the former sermon in righteousness, in reference to the keeping of the oath (of which hereafter) and in judgment, 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 advice be useful, "Ponder the path of thy feet," " And keep thy foot when thou enterest into the house of God ; " then certainly it is most seasonable, when a people or person draw near to make or renew their covenant with the most high God. And it seems, in the latter of those two Scriptures now quoted, the Holy Ghost doth principally refer to this duty of making vows and covenants with God ; the second verse doth intimate such a business, " Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any- thing before God." To utter what? The fourth verse is express, "when thou makest a vow unto God." So that it is clear, the purpose of the Holy Ghost in that place is, as in all our holy services, so especially in this of vows, to caution all the people of God, when they draw near to utter their vows unto the Lord, to manage it with the greatest deliberation, and solidness of judgment that is possible ; to sit down and consider with ourselves before hand, with whom we have to deal ? What we have to do ? Upon what warrant? By what rule? To what end? "The lame and the blind," God's soul hates for a sacrifice^ The lame affections, and the blind ignorant judgment. And well He may ; for certainly, they that do not swear in judgment, will not, cannot swear in righteousness ; they that do not make their vows in judgment, will not, cannot pay, or perform them in righteousness. He that swears he knows not what, will observe he cares not how. Incogitant making, will end in unconscionable breaking of covenant ; and, if need be, in a cursed abjuration of it ; for rash SERMON AT LONDON. 267 swearing is a precipice to forswearing. And therefore, if any of you have not well weighed this service, or be any ways unsatisfied, in whole, or in parts, I advise you to forbear, till your judgments be better informed. " Whatso- ever is not of faith, is sin." Provided, that this be not done merely in a pretence to evade and elude this service, to which God and the two nations call you, as here in the text. " Come, let us join." Take heed of casting a mist of willing prejudice and affected ii^norance, before your own eyes ; such the apostle speaks of, to no other purpose, but that your own malignity may steal away in that mist undiscovered ; for be sure, your sin will find you out. An ingenious ignorance and truly conscientious tenderness, is accompanied with an ingenuous and conscientious use of all means, for information and satisfaction ; and to such, I make no question, the ministers of Christ will be ready to communicate what light they have, for resolving doubts, removing scruples, and satisfying conscience, whensoever you shall make your addresses for that purpose. In the mean time, if there be any that, under pretence of unsatisfiedness, do shun the duty and information too ; they will be found, but to mock God and authority ; to whose justice and wisdom therefore I must leave them. God tells His people, when He joins Himself to them, " I will marry thee to Myself, in righteousness, and judgment." How in judgment? Because God considers what He does, when He takes a people or person to Himself; not that God chuseth for any wealth or worth in the creature, faith foreseen, or works foreseen ; but that finding it (on the contrary) poor and beggarly, and undone, and foreseeing what it is like to prove, crooked and froward, unteachable and untractable ; He sits down to speak after the manner of men, and considers, what course to take, and what it is like to cost Him, to make them such a people, as He may delight in, and then consulting with His treasures, and 268 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. finding He hath wherewithal to bear their charges, and to bring about His own ends ; He resolves to take them, and marry them to Himself, whatsoever it cost Him. The result of such a consultation you may read, dropped from God's own pen, " And I said, how shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations?" Here is God's wise deliberation on the matter : " how shall I put thee ? " That is, how shall I do this ? But I must do it to Mine own dishonour ; for I see before-hand what thou wilt prove : thou wilt be the same that ever thou wast ; as idolatrous, as adulterous, as unstable, as backsliding as ever. It is not a pleasant land, a goodly heritage, that will make thee better. "^Vell, after some pause, God was resolved what to do : and I said, hear His resolution, " Thou shalt call Me, my Father, and shalt not turn away from Me : " that is, as if He had said, I will take this course with thee, I will first give thee the heart of a child, " thou shalt call Me, Father : " and then I will give thee the inheritance of a child, " a goodly heritage." And when I have done ; I will not leave thee to thyself, but I will knit thee to Myself, by an indissoluble union. "I will put My Spirit into thee." "And thou shalt not turn away from Me." There is God's wise resolution ; He resolves to do all Himself, and then He is sure it will not fail His expectation ; He undertakes it. " Thou shalt call Me, my Father, and shalt not turn away from Me." Thus God, when He marrieth His people to Himself, doeth it in judgment. Now therefore, " be ye followers of God, as dear children." And since you come now about the counter-part of the same work; namely, to join or marry yourselves to God, do it in judgment. Con- sider well what you do ; and, among other things, since you are so poor, and nothing in yourselves, as you have seen in the opening of this precious Scripture ; bethink yourselves where you will have strength and sufficiency, to make good SERMON AT LONDON. 269 this great and solemn engagement with your God. But of this more hereafter. Secondly^ See that you come to this service with a reverential frame of spirit, with that holy fear and awe, upon your hearts, as becomes the greatness and holiness of that God, and that ordinance, with whom you have to do ; remembering that you are this day to swear before God, by God, to God : either of which, singly considered, might justly make us fear and tremble ; how much more may this threefold cord bow and bind our hearts down in an humble, and holy prosternation ? It is said of Jacob, " He sware by the fear of his father Isaac." Jacob in his oath chooseth this title of fear, to give unto God, to shew with what fear he came ; but to swear by this God, what should we do ; when, as I say, we come to swear by Him, and to Him ? Surely, when He is so especially the object of our oath, He should then especially be the object of our fear. The consideration of that infinite distance between God and us, may wonderfully advantage us towards the getting of our hearts into this holy posture. Great is that distance that is between a king and a beggar; 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, before whom all the nations are but as a drop of a bucket, and the small dust of the balance." And the poor nothing creature, "vanity, and altogether lighter than vanity." And yet, this is not all ; yea, this is the shortest measure of that distance, whereof we speak; the distance of Creator and the cieature; lo, it is found between God and the angels in heaven, and the "spirits of just men made perfect ;" in respect whereof^ 270 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. the Psalmist saith of God, " He humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven." It is a condescension for that infinitely glorious being, who dwells in Himself, and is abundantly satisfied in the beholding of His own incomprehensible excellencies, to vouchsafe to look out of Himself, and behold the things that are in heaven ; the best of those glorious inhabitants that stand round about His throne ; who therefore, 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 sets us farther beneath a worm, than a worm is beneath 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, than 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 condescension for the great God to behold the things that are in heaven, how infinite condescension is it, to behold the sinful things that are on earth ! and if sinless saints, and spotless angels do tender their services, which yet are as spotless as their persons, with such reverential deportment; what abhorrency and self-annihilation can be sufficient to accompany our approaches to this God of holiness, 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 ! " Let us therefore have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably," in this so excellent an ordinance, " with reverence and godly fear ; for our SERMON AT LONDON. 27 1 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 find acceptation. Again, Thirdly, to that end, labour to approve yourselves to God in this service, in the uprightness and sincerity of your hearts. The want of this, God lays oft to the charge of the Israelites, as in other duties, so especially in this, which is now before us, "They lied to Him with their tongues : for their heart was not right 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, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity 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 inquired of?" is as much as, "I will not be inquired of." It is a denial with disdain; "should I?" Or, if they be so impudent to inquire. 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 ; " I will answer them according to the multitude of their idols," i.e. according to the merit of their idolatry : 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 damna- tion. 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 anything lie nearer our hearts than Himself, He will scorn us, and our services. If, therefore, you would be accepted, " out with your idols ; " cast out the love of sin, out of your hearts ; and be upright with your God in this 272 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. holy undertaking. It is the main qualification in the text, "they shall inquire the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward," i.e.^ in sincerity, with uprightness of spirit, with the full set and bent of their souls : as it is said of Christ, when He went to His passion ; " He stedfastly set His face to go up to Jerusalem " He went with all His heart to be crucified ; with a stiong bent of spirit. Beloved, we are not going to "crucifying work," (unless it be to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts) but to marriage work ; "to join ourselves to the Lord, in an ever- lasting covenant." Let us do it " with our faces Zion- 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. ^ man may inquire the way to Zion, with his face towards Babylon ; a people or person may enter covenant with God, with their hearts Rome-ward, and earth-ward, and sin-ward, and hell-ward. Friends, look to your hearts. " Perad venture, said Jacob, my father will feel me, and I shall seem to him as one that mocks, and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing." Without all perad venture, may we say, our Father will feel us ; for He searcheth all hearts, and under- standeth the imagination of the thoughts. If we be found as they that mock, shewing much love with our mouths, while our hearts are far from Him, we shall bring a curse upon ourselves ; 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 ; " they had sworn with all their heart, and with their whole desire." And their success 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 happiness 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 expresses it, i.e. SERMON AT LONDON. 273 one heart for God, and another for our idols ; one heart for Christ, and another for Antichrist, : 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 find such success as we look for ; safety and deliverance to both the nations ; yea, that both in respect of our sincerity and success, that might be made good upon us that is spoken to the eternal honour of that good king Hezekiah, " And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the command- ments to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." Universal sincerity is accompanied with universal prosperity ; in all he did, he was upright, and in all he did, he prospered. Brethren, whatever 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 uprightness, so be it unto you." In the Fourth place, 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 corn and wine," as formerly; of which God says, "they cried not unto Me," i.e.^ they did not make God the end of their prayers ; as elsewhere God tells them : " When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye fast to Me, even unto Me ? " In seventy years, they kept sevenscore fasts in Babylon ; and yet, amongst them all, they kept not one day unto God ; for though the duty looked 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 Ciod's dishonour, as the s 274 I'HE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. cause of their captivity ; they were not troubled so much, that they had by their sins walked contrary to God, as that God, by His judgments, had "walked contrary to them." They fasted and prayed, rather to get off their chains than to get off their sins ; to get rid of the bondage of the Babylonians, than 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 only for themselves ; " going and weeping ; " why ? Not so much that He hath offended them, as that they have offended Him ; for their sins, more than for their punishments ', so it is more distinctly reported, " A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and suppli- cations of the children of Israel ; because they have perverted their way, and have forsaken the Lord their God." They had forgotten God before, not only in their sins, but in their duties; "they cried not to Me; they fasted not to Me; not at all unto Me." But now they remember the Lord their God ; they seek His face ; they labour to atone 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 Zion ; " they require as well, and more, how they should serve Him, as that He should save them. "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king, He will save us." Beloved Christians, let us write after this copy, and in this great business we have in hand, let us seek God, and seek Him as a fountain of holiness, as well as a fountain of happiness. Take we heed of those base, low, dung-hill ends, which prevailed upon the Shechemites to enter into covenant with the God of the Hebrews, "shall not their cattle and sub- stance be ours?" Let the two nations, and every soul in both the nations, that lift up the hand to the most high God, in this holy league and covenant, take heed SERMON AT LONDON. 275 of, and abhor such unworthy thoughts, if they should be crowding in upon this service, and say unto them, as once Christ to Peter, " get thee behind me, Satan ; thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men." You may remember how it fared with Hamor, and his son Shechem, and their people, to whom they propounded these base ends. God did not only disappoint them of their ends, but destroy them for them ; their aims were to get the Hebrews' substance and cattle ; but they lost their own, with lives to boot ; " For it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And the sons •of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city ; they took their sheep, and their oxen, and all their wealth." A most horrid and bloody 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 sensual 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, as they also tempted." For, if God so much abhorred, and so severely punished these worldly respects in the men of the Avorld; if God was so angry with poor purblind heathen, who had no other light for their guide, but the glimmering light of nature ; how will His anger not only kindle, but flame in the avenging of such baseness upon Christians, a people of His own, who have the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to discover to them higher and heavenly ends and references ? So that such a kingdom, people, or person, that should dare to bring such base carnal ends, to so spiritual and divine a contract, should be made a monu- ment of the wrath and vengeance of divine justice ; and while they propound to themselves safety, or riches, or greatness, from such an excellent ordinance, God makes it 276 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. by a strange but a righteous hand, an occasion of misery and ruin to them and their posterity, to many generations. Christians, labour to set up God in this day and duty, wherein you engage yourselves so nigh unto Him ; and if you would have heavenly blessings, see that you propound and pursue heavenly ends and aims ; 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 only 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, accord- ing to that great rule, " whether you eat or drink, or what- soever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Fifthly^ To do this business to acceptation, we must do it cheerfully : as God loves a cheerful giver, so He loves a cheerful hearer, a cheerful petitioner, and a cheerful covenanter; and you have it in the text too, "come let us;" there is their readiness and cheerfulness to the work ; as it was that for which the apostle doth commend his Macedon- ians in another service. "This they did, not as we hoped, 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 ordi- nance before you, that they might say and rejoice, that you were a people, " that gave yourselves to the Lord," and unto the work of reformation, not by a Parliamentary fear, or by our ministerial compulsions ; but, above our hopes, and beyond our expectations ; of your own accord. See what a wonder, not only of cheerfulness, but of joy and triumph, is recorded of the Jews in king Asa's time, in their taking of the covenant. "They sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting ; and with trumpets, and with cornets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath ; for they had SERMON AT LONDON. 277 sworn with all their hearts." There was indeed a severe mulct, a capital censure enacted, against those that should refuse, and reject this ordinance. "They should be put to death, whether great or small, whether man or woman." A very grievous censure ; but it seems there was neither need, nor use for it ; " for all Judah rejoiced at the oath ; " the people looked upon this service, not as their pressure, but as their privilege ; and therefore came to it, not with contentedness only, but an holy triumph, and so saved the magistrate and themselves the labour and charges of executing that sentence on delinquents. Oh ! that this may be your wisdom and honour; that whatever penalty the honourable Parliaments of either nation, shall in their wisdom 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 less than death, will not be justice only but modera- tion) I say, whatever it shall be, it may be rendered useless and invalid by the forwardness and rejoicings of an obedient people ; that all England, as well as Scotland, would rejoice at the oath, and swear with all their hearts. 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 God's power : the Lord make you a "willing people." And, as a testimony of this willing- ness and joy, imitate the people here in the text, and stir up one another, and provoke one another to this holy service. " Let us join ourselves to the Lord." They express their charity, as well as their joy; they would not go to Zion alone ; they call as many as they meet with them ; " come let us join ourselves to the Lord." Oh, that this might be your temper! It is the very character of the evangelical church ; as both Isaiah and Micah have described it ; their words be the same. " Many people shall go and say, come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of 278 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. the Lord." Oh ! that while neutrals and malignants do discourage one another, and set off one another, and embitter one another's spirits ; God and His ministers might find you encouraging each other, and provoking one another, and labouring to oil one another's spirits, to this (as other) Gospel duty and prerogative ; God could not choose, but be much pleased with such a sight. I might have made this a distinct qualification, but for brevity's sake, I couch it under this head. I come to the last. If you would be accepted, bring faith with you to this service : and that in a fourfold reference; i. God. 2. The ordinance. 3. Ourselves. 4. Jesus Christ. Firsts In reference unto God ; " for 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 people's hand, than when they come with their hearts as full of good thoughts of God as ever they can hold ; such as, " Lo, this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us ; we have waited for Him, we will be glad, and rejoice in His salvation." "He will save," "we will be glad," />., God will undoubtedly give us occasion of gladness and triumph in His praises. Oh, sweet and blessed confidence of divine goodness ! how well doth this become the children of such a father, who hath styled Himself the Father of mercies ? Good thoughts of God do mightily please, and even engage God to shew mercy to His people. " Let us therefore come with boldness to the throne of grace;" even in this ordinance also, '■' that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help us in this time of our need." Secondly^ Let us bring faith in reference to the duty ; as we are to believe well of God, so we are to believe well of the duty, that it is an ordinance wherein God will be sanctified, and found of them that seek Him. It is not enough, that we seek Him in His ordinance, but that we SERMON AT LONDON. 279 believe it to be His ordinance. "Whatever is not of faith, is sin;" He speaks not of a faith that doth justify the person ; but of a faith that doth justify the performance ; that is, a thorough conviction of conscience, that the work, whatsoever it is, is such that the word will bear me out in it, such as God Himself doth approve. To do doubtfully, is to do sinfully ; an ignorant person cannot please God. Thirdly^ Bring faith in reference to your own persons ; believe that God will accept of them in this ordinance ; whatever your success shall be in regard of the kingdom, yet you shall find acceptance in regard of your persons : so the church. " Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteousness, those that remember Thee in Thy ways." When a people or person can say, as the church in another place, " In the way of Thy judgments, have we waited for Thee, O Lord ; the desire of our soul is to Thy name, and to the remembrance of Thee," God will not stay till they come unto Him, but He will meet them half-way; "thou meetest him," like the father of the prodigal, while they are yet half-way. He will see, and run, and meet, and fall upon their neck ; and while they weep at His feet, tears of contri- tion ; He will weep over their necks, the tears of compassion : Oh ! stir up yourselves, and engage your faith to believe, and expect a gracious entertainment. If God see you coming in the integrity and uprightness of your hearts, to enter into covenant with God, to take Him as your God, and to give up yourselves to be His people, to take away all from sin, and to give all to Jesus Christ ; He will certainly take it .well at your hands, and say unto you, " come, my people, and welcome ; I will be your God, and you shall be my people ; " which that you may not miss of, In the fourth place, come believingly, in reference to Jesus Christ ; be sure you bring a Christ with you ; for " He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Come without a Christ, and go without acceptance. 260 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. The day of atonement among the Jews was called the day of expiation ; and the word kippurim is derived from an Hebrew root, that signifies to cover; and so the day of atonement was as much as to say, " the day of covering ; the covering of nakedness : and the covering of sin." " Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, and whose sin is covered." In which very name of the day, the ground or reason is held forth, why it was called a day of atonement, because it was a day of covering : wherein Christ was typified. Who is the " the covering of the saints ; the long white robes of His righteousness" covering both their persons and performances ; so that the nakedness of neither doth appear in the eyes of His Father ; " He hath beheld no iniquity in Jacob, neither hath seen perverseness in Israel." Why? Not because there was no "iniquity in Jacob, nor perverseness in Israel," for there was hardly any thing else ; but because their iniquity and perverseness were hid from His eyes, being covered with the mantle of His Son's righteousness, the Messiah, which He had promised, and they so much looked for. L.et us therefore in this service, as in all, " put on the Lord Jesus." That as Jacob in the garments of his elder brother Esau, so we in the gar- ments of our elder brother Jesus, may find acceptance and obtain the blessing. And thus much be spoken concerning the first branch of this third query, how to acceptation ? I come now to the Second branch of it, and that is, How to perpetuity? Or, how may we perform this service so that it may be " an everlasting covenant, that may never be forgotten? To that end, take these few brief directions, and I have done. Firsts Labour to come to this service with much soul- affliction for former violation of the covenant, either in refusing, or profaning, or breaking thereof : the foundations must be laid low, where we would build for many generations. In what deep sorrows had you need to lay the foundations SERMON AT LONDON. 28 1 of this covenant, which you would have stand to eternity, that it may be "an everlasting covenant." This you have in the text ; "they shall seek the Lord, going and weeping;" weeping in the sense of their former rebellions and apostasies, whereby they forfeited their faith, and brake their covenant with the Lord their God ; and it was no ordinary slight business they made of it. "A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplication." They were not a few silent tears : no, they " lift up their voices and wept," as was said of Esau. They cried so loud, that they were heard a great way off. "A voice was heard upon the mountains ; " and it was as bitter, as it was loud ; " a great mourning, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon," when all Judah, Jerusalem, Jeremiah the prophet, and all the singers, bewailed the death of their good king Josiah, with a grievous lamenta- tion, " and made it an ordinance forever." Oh ! that as we have their service in hand, so we had their heads and their hearts, to manage it with rivers of tears, for our former vileness : that we could weep this day together, and after- ward apart, as it is prophesied, " Every family apart, and our wives apart ; " yea, and every soul apart, that we have dealt so evilly with so good a God, so unfaithfully with so faithful a God ; that we could put our mouths in the dust, and smite upon our thigh, and be ashamed and confounded, for all the wickedness we have committed against God and His covenant, in any, or all these ways. Such a posture God will see us in, before He will shew us "the way to Zion ; " before He will reveal to us the model and platform of reformation ; for so was His charge to Ezekiel, " If they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the forms of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof, and write it in their sight." 262 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Surely, this blessed prophecy hath an eye upon our times,. for this is one of those days, as I told you before, wherein God will make good these gracious words unto His people ; and God hath called together His Ezekiels, His ministers, to "shew the house," /.^., the form and pattern of the evangelical house or church, unto the house of England and Scotland. "Shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed." That is, shew them the outside thereof, shew them "that there is such a house," which they never yet beheld with their eyes, that they may be humbled and ashamed of their former idolatries. And thus do our Ezekiels tell us, there is a way of gospel government, of such beauty and excellency, as our eyes never yet beheld, nor the eyes of our forefathers ; to the end, that we may be ashamed of all our former idolatries and superstitions, our monstrous mixtures of popery and will-worship in the ordinances of Christ ; and that we have not sooner inquired after the mind of Christ, how He will be worshipped in His house ; but now, unless we be ashamed, i.e.^ deeply and thoroughly humbled, for all that we have done unworthy of Christ and His worship, and the covenant of our God, we shall never see the inside, that is, the laws and the ordinances, and the forms of this house, which are both various and curious ; for so the variety and repetition of the words imply. The prophets are not to reveal these unto us, unless we be ashamed ; God will either withdraw them from us, or, which is worse, withdraw Him- self from them ; so that our eyes shall never behold the Lord in the beauty of holiness ; we shall not be admitted to see the beauty and glory of such a reformation, as our souls long for. And as God will see us in this posture, before He reveal to us the model and platform of reformation ; so also, till we be in such a posture of deep humiliation, for our former abominations, we shall never be stedfast and faithful in the covenant of God. Till our hearts be throughly SERMON AT LONDON. 283 broken for covenant-breach, we will not pass much for breaking covenant, upon every fresh temptation. Yea, till that time we be humbled, not for a day only, and so forth : but unless we labour to maintain an habitual frame of godly sorrow upon our hearts for our covenant-violations, shall we ever be to purpose conscientious of our covenant ? A sad remembrance of old sins is a special means to prevent new. When every solemn remembrance of former vileness, can fetch tears from our eyes, and blood from our hearts, and fill our faces with an holy shame, the soul will be holily shy of the like abominations, and of all occasions and tendencies thereunto : " Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled within me." When old sins cost dear, new sins will not find an easy entertainment. When old sins are new afflictions, when the remembrance of them is as wormw^ood and gall, the soul will not easily be bewitched to drink a new draught of that poisoned cup any more. Christian, believe me, or thou mayest find it by experience too true, when thou hast forgot old sins, or canst remember them without new affliction of soul, thou art near a fall ; look to thyself, and cry to God for preventing grace. There will be great hopes we shall be faithful in our new covenant, when we come with a godly sense and sorrow for our abuse of old, and labour to maintain it upon our spirits. Secondly, If you would have this covenant to be a perpetual covenant, labour to see old scores crossed ; do not only mourn for thy covenant-unfaithfulness ; but labour to get thy pardon written and sealed to thee in the blood of the covenant. There is virtue enough in the blood of the covenant, to expiate the guilt of thy sins against the covenant. " I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean ; from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." Their sins of idolatry, were sins 284 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. especially against their covenant ; idolatry being the viola- tion of the marriage-knot, between God and a people ; yet even from them doth God promise to cleanse them, upon their repentance and conversion. The blood of the covenant, compared to water for the cleansing virtue thereof, should cleanse them from their covenant defile- ments. "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." "Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet, return again to me, saith the Lord." It is a mighty encouragement to renew our covenants with God, that He is so ready to pardon the breach of old ; and the sense of this pardon is a mighty engagement and strengthening, to keep our new covenants. Oh ! for God to say to a poor soul, "be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." "And I have blotted out thy sins as a cloud, and thy transgressions as a thick cloud." All thy unkindnesses and unfaithful- nesses, thy treacherous dealings against the covenant, shall be forgotten ; they shall do thee no harm. This will mightily strengthen the hands, and fortify the heart, and even make it impenetrable and impregnable against all the solicitations and importunities of old temptations : see a notable instance of this, " I will heal their back- slidings, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him." " I will be as the dew to Israel." " His branches shall spread." "They that dwell under His shadow shall return." What follows these gracious promises? Why, Ephraim shall say, " What have I to do any more with idols?" He that before was so inseparably joined to idols, that he could not be divorced from them ; " Ephraim is joined to idols." All the blows that God gave him, tho' God should have beaten him to pieces, as he himself afterward confessed, could not beat him off from his idols; insomuch, that God at length gave him over, as an hopeless child. " Ephraim is joined to idols, let him lone." Yet, no sooner doth this Ephraim hear of a pardon. SERMON AT LONDON. 285 and of the love of God to him, but the bonds between him and his idols are dissolved, and away he thrusts them with indignation. Ephraim shall say, " What have I to do with idols ? " Or as the prophet Isaiah expresseth it, " Ye shall defile the covering of the graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold : thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth, thou shalt say unto it, get thee hence." And thus it is with a people, or a person, when once " God sheds abroad His Spirit in their hearts," and makes them " hear joy and gladness," in speaking, or sealing, a pardon upon their souls ; they that before were joined to their idols, drunkenness, uncleanness, covetous- ness, pride, ways of false worship, old superstitious customs, and ceremonies, and the like ; so that there was no parting of them ; or those who had long been grappling and conflict- ing with their strong corruptions and old temptations, and in those conflicts had received many a foil, and got many a fall to the wounding of their consciences, and cutting deep gashes upon their souls ; now they stand up with a kind of omnipotence among them, no temptation is able to stand before them ; they say to their idols, whether sinful company, or sinful customs, " get ye hence, and what have I to do any more with idols ? " What have I to do with such and such base company? What have I to do with such base filthy lusts ? " I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." Christ is mine, and I am His. The reason of it is, because pardon begets love ; " she loved much, because much was forgiven her." And love begets strength : " for love is as strong as death " ; yea, stronger than sin or death ; " They loved not their lives to the death," and " I count not my life dear," says Paul, when once the man had tasted of the free grace of God in the pardon of his sins, " who before was a blasphemer, and a persecuter, and injurious." He could find in his heart, not only to lay down a lust, but to lay down his life too for Jesus Christ : 2 86 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. " for whose sake, (saith he), I have suffered the loss of all things ; and I count not my life dear, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." My beloved Christians, if you would be faithful in the covenant of God, into which you are now entering, sue out your pardon for what is past ; yea, entreat the Lord, not only to give a pardon, but to speak a pardon, and seal a pardon upon your hearts ; and never give the Lord rest, till the Lord have given rest to your souls. " The joy of the Lord is your strength." Thirdly^ If you would make an unchangeable covenant, with an unchangeable God, come furnished with and main- tain upon your hearts, an abundant measure of self-distrust \ labour to be thoroughly convinced of your own nothingness and disability. " By his own strength shall no man prevail." Surely, thine own treachery may inform thee, and thine own backslidings may convince thee, to confess with Jeremiah, " O Lord, I know (I know^ it by sad experience) the way of man is not in himself : It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Staupitius confessed to Luther, that he thought in his very conscience he had above a thousand times renewed his covenant with God, and as many times broken it : a sad confession, and yet how many among us may take up the like lamentation ! Be convinced of it, I beseech you, and maintain the sense of this conviction upon your spirits. Say oft within yourself, I am nothing, worse than nothing. This treacherous heart of mine will betray me into the breach of my covenant, if the Lord leave me to myself, I shall one day fall by the hand of my corruptions. He that walks tremblingly, walks safely. In the Fourth place, be often renewing your resolutions. It was the exhortation of that good man to the new converts at Antioch, where they were first called Christians, "that SERMON AT LONDON. 287 they should cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart." This covenant, I have shewed you, is the ordinance whereby you cleave unto the Lord, the joining ordinance. Oh ! do it with full purpose of heart, and be often putting on fresh and frequent resolutions, not to suffer every base temptation of Satan, every deceitful, or malignant solicitation of the world, every foolish and carnal suggestion of the flesh, to bribe and seduce you from that fidelity which you swear this day to Jesus Christ and the kingdoms. A well grounded resolution is half the work, and the better half too ; for he that hath well resolved, hath conquered his will ; and he that hath conquered his will, hath overcome the greatest difficulty : no such difficulty in spiritual things, as to prevail with one's own heart. With these cords, therefore, of well bottomed resolutions, be oft binding yourselves to your covenant, as once Ulysses did himself to his mast, that you may not be bewitched by any Syrenian song of the flesh, world, or the devil, to violate your holy covenant, and drown yourselves in a sea of perdition. And to that end, it would not be altogether useless, to fix your covenant in some place of your houses, or bed-chamber, where it may be oftenest in your eyes, to admonish you of your religious and solemn engagements, under which you have brought your own souls. The Jews had their "phylacteries, or borders upon their garments," which they did wear also upon their heads, and upon their arms ; which, tho' they abused afterward, not only to pride, making them broader than their first size or pattern, in ostentation and boasting of their holiness, our Saviour condemns in the scribes and Pharisees. And to superstition, for they used them as superstitious helps in prayer, which they coloured under a false derivation of the word in the Hebrew, yet God indulged them in this ceremony, as an help for their memories, to put them in remembrance to keep the law of the Lord. And God Himself seems to use this art of memory, as it 2 88 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. were, when, comforting His people, He tells them, " behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands, thy walls are continually before Me." I must confess, the nature of man is very prone to abuse and pervert such natural helps to idolatry and superstition. This instance of the Jews, wretchedly improving their phylacteries to superstitious purposes, their idolizing of the brazen serpent ; and thereby of a cure, turning it into a plague, a snare, with the like, are sufficient testimonies. And we see how the papists have abused and adulterated the lawful use of natural mediums, to the unlawful use of artificial mediums of their own inventions ; images and crucifixes, first to help their memories, and stir up their devotions in their prayers, and then to pray unto them, as mediums of divine worship. The more cautious had Christians need be in the use of those mediums, which either God hath ordained by special command for the help of our memories, and stirring up of our graces, as the visible elements in the sacraments ; or such natural advantages, which moral equity allows us for the help of our under- standings and memories in spiritual concernments ; such is this, we are now speaking of; it being the same with the use of books and tables. TertuUian tells us of a super- stitious custom among the ancient Christians, that they were wont to set up images over their doors and chimneys, to keep witches when they came into their houses from bewitching their children ; and so by a little kind of witch- craft, prevented witchcraft. But surely, to set up this covenant, where we might often see and read what engage- ments we have laid upon our souls, (and I could heartily wish Christians would do it at least once a week) it will be an innocent and warrantable spell, to render the witchery of the flesh, world, and devil, fruitless and ineffectual upon our spirits, while the soul may say with David, " Thy vows are upon me, O God : I will render praise unto Thee." SERMON AT LONDON. 289 But Fifthly^ consider often and seriously, who it is that must uphold your resolutions; even He that upholds heaven and earth : no less 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, 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 : David was a man of an excellent spirit, full of holy resolves. " I will walk in mine integrity," " And I will keep Thy testimonies." And again, " I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments." And yet again, " do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee ? " "I hate them with a perfect hatred." A thousand such sweet resolutions doth that precious servant of God breathe out all along the Psalms ; and yet so jealous the holy man is of himself, that he never trusts himself wdth his own resolu- tions ; and therefore shall you find him always clapping a petition upon a resolution, as in the quoted places. " I vrill w^alk in mine integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. I will keep Thy testimonies, oh! forsake me not utterly." Though Thou hast let me fall fearfully, suffer me not to fall finally. And so when he had said, " I have sw^orn, and will not repent," he presently adds (within a word or tw^o), "quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy word." And again, " accept, I beseech Thee, the free-will offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me Thy judg- ments." God must teach him, as to make, so to make good the free-will offerings of his mouth, ?>., his promises and vows. And so, when he had made that appeal to God, " do not I hate them that hate Thee, Lord?" he presently betakes himself to his prayers, "search me, O God, and know my heart : try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way T 290 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. everlasting." Mark, I pray, " search me, try me, know my heart, know my thoughts, see whether there be any wicked way, lead me." He will neither trust himself for what he is, nor for what he shall be; " try me," he dares not trust his own trial : '• lead me," he dares not trust his own resolutions : such a sweet holy jealousy of himself doth he breathe forth, with all his heavenly purposes and resolutions. Oh ! all you that would make an everlasting covenant with God, imitate holy David, upon every holy resolution, clap an earnest petition, say, I will reform my hfe ; oh! redeem me, and be merciful unto me. I will set up Christ in my heart, I will labour to walk worthy of Him in my life: oh! forsake me not utterly. Lord ; leave me not to myself, I have sworn, and am utterly purposed in all my duties I owe to God and man, to amend my life, and to go before others in the example of a real reformation. O Lord, teach me Thy judgments : quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy word. Thy vows are upon me, that I will, according to my place and calling, endeavour to preserve reformation in Scotland, to procure refoimation in England ; that I will in like manner endeavour the extirpation of popery and prelacy ; to preserve the rights and liberties of parliaments ; discover incendiaries ; endeavour the preservation of peace between the two kingdoms ; defend all those that enter into this league and covenant, that I will never make defection to the contrary part, or to give myself to a detestable indiffer- ency or neutrality. 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. But now, add with David, " Search me, O God, and know my heart ; try me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any way of wickedness 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 SERMON AT LONDON. 29 1 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. " Humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by His Spirit; for this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings." And the covenant in the text, was surely inlaid with prayer, while they engage themselves to seek the Lord, not only to shew them the way to Zion, but to give them strength to walk in that way. Let it be your wisdom and piety, m\' 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 sw^ear to the most high God in this covenant, so lift up your hands every day to pray to that Gpd for grace to keep this covenant. Let sense of self-insufficiency keep open the sluice of prayer, that that may let fresh streams of strength every day into your souls, to make good your vows ; when you be careless to pray over the covenant, you will be careless to keep the covenant ; when you cease to pray, you will cease to pay. If you will be watchful in praying over your vows, prayer will make you watchful in paying your- vows. If you will be faithful in crying to God, God will be faithful in hearing and helping. Pray therefore, prav over every good purpose and resolution of heart towards the covenant of God which conscience shall suggest, or the Spirit of God shall breathe into your bosoms, at this present or any time hereafter ; as David once prayed over that good frame of spirit, which he observed in his people ; what time they offered so willingly and liberally to the preparing for the house of God ; " O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob, our fathers, keep this for ever, in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart, and prepare their heart unto Thee." To every command, God is pleased to add a promise ; so that what is a command in one place, is a promise in another. " Circumcise the foreskin of your heart." But it is a promise, " The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart. 292 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord." Again, " make you a new heart." So saith the word of command : " sl new heart will I give you :" so speaks the word of promise. Once more, "little children abide in Him," that is the command. Which in the immediate verse before is a gracious promise, "you shall abide in Him." Divers more such instances I could give you ; and why thus ? Surely, the command teacheth us our duty, the promise our weakness and insufficiency to perform that duty. The command finds us work ; the promise finds us strength : the command is to keep us from being idle ; the promise to keep us from being discouraged, ^^^ell, let us imitate God, and, as He couples a. command and a promise, so let us couple a resolution and a petition. As God seconds and backs His command with His promise, so let us second and back our promises with our prayers ; the one in sense of our duty, the other in sense of our weakness ; by the one, to bring our hearts up to God ; by the other, to bring God down to our hearts : resolve and petition, promise and pray, and the Lord " prepare your heart to pray, and cause His ear to hear." Secondly^ Since God only must uphold your desires, walk continually as in His presence ; stability is only to be found in the presence of God ; so far we live an unchangeable life^ as we walk and live in the presence of an unchangeable God. The saints in Heaven know no vicissitudes, or changes, in their holy frame and temper of spirit, because they are perfected in the beholding of His face; "with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of changing :" and so far as the saints on earth can keep God in their presence so far the presence of God will keep them. " I have set the Lord always before me ; and because He is at my right hand, therefore I shall not be moved," sang David of himself literally, and in the person of Christ typically : the privilege was made good to both, so far as either made good the duty. David, according to his degiee, and proportion of grace. SERMON AT LONDON. 293 set God before him, placed Him on his right hand ; and so long as he could keep God's presence, the presence of God kept him ; it kept him from sin, " I have kept myself from mine iniquity." How so ? Why, "I was upright before Him," in the former part of the same verse. So long as he walked before God, in God's presence ; so long he walked upright, and kept himself from his iniquity ; or rather God's presence kept him : and, as it kept him from sin, so it kept him from fear also ; " tho' I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear." Mark what he saith, though he walk, not step ; and walk through, not step across ; and through, not a dark entry, or a church-yard in the night- time, but a valley, a large, long, vast place ; how many miles long I know not ; and this not a valley of darkness only, but of death, where he should see nothing but visions of death, and not bare death, but the shadow of death : the shadow is the dark part of the thing ; so that the shadow of death, is the darkest side of death ; death in its most hideous and horrid representations ; and yet behold, when he comes out at the farther end, and a man would have thought to have found him all in a cold sweat, his hair standing upright, his eyes set in his head, and the man beside himself. Behold, I say, he doth not so much as change colour, his hand shakes not, his heart fails not ; as he went in, he comes out ; and though he should go back again the same way, he tells you, " I will not fear." How comes this to pass ? How comes the man to be so un- daunted? Why, he will tell you in the very same verse, speaking to God, " For Thou art with me." God's presence kept him from fear, in the rfiidst of death and horror. Thus it was, I say, with David, while he could keep God in his presence, he was immoveable, impregnable ; you might as soon have stirred a rock, as stirred him, " I shall not be moved." Indeed, so long as he was upon the rock, he was as immoveable as the rock itself ; but alas ! sometime he 2 94 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. lost the sight of his God, and then he was Hke other men ; " Thou didst hide Thy face from me, and I was troubled." When God hid His face from him, or he hid his eyes from God ; then how easily is he moved ? Fear breaks in, "I shall one day fall by the hand of Saul." Sin breaks in, yea, one sin upon the heels of another ; the adulterous act, upon the adulterous look, and murder upon adultery, as you know in that sad business of Uriah the Hittite ; once off from his Rock, and he is as weak as dust, not able to stand before the least temptation of sin or fear ; and therefore as soon as he comes to himself again, he cries, " Oh ! lead me to the Rock that is higher than I ;" to my Rock, Lord, to my Rock. But now, the Lord Jesus, the antitype of David here in this Psalm, because He made good this, (duty shall I call it?) "For in Him dwelt the fulness of the God-head bodily." To Him therefore was this privilege made good perfectly in the highest degree ; for tho' He had temptations that never man had, and was to do that which never man did ; and to suffer that which never man suffered ; the contradiction of sinners ; the rage of hell ; and the wrath of God : yet, because He set the Lord always at His right hand ; yea, indeed was always at the right hand of God ; therefore He was not moved, but overcame even by suffering. Beloved, you see where stability in covenant is to be had; even in the presence of God. Labour, I beseech you, to walk in His presence, and to set Him always at your right hand ; behold, it shall keep you, so that you shall not be moved ; or, if you be moved, you shall not be removed ; if you stumble you shall not fall ; or, if you fall, you shall not fall away; you shall rise again. There 'is a ^double advantage in it. Firsts It will keep your hearts in awe ; he that sets God in his presence, dares not sin in His presence : " God sees," will make the heart say, " How shall I do this great evil, and sin against God ?" Secondly, There is joy in SERMON AT LONDON. 295 it ; " In Thy presence is fulness of joy." It is true, in its proportion of grace, as well as of glory ; and joy will strengthen and stablish, as I shewed you before, '• The joy of the Lord is your strength." As long as the child is in its father's eye, and the father in its eye, it is secure. " Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation ; there shall no evil befall thee." It will hold as well in the evils of sin, as in the evils of punishment : well, the Lord make you know these precious truths in an experimental manner. I have held you too long ; but the business requires it. Remember, I beseech you, it is God that must uphold your desires and resolutions ; and therefore, i. Be much in prayer. And, 2. Set your- selves in the presence of God. He lives unchangeably that lives in the unchangeable God. In the Sixth, and last place, if thou wouldst make an ever- lasting covenant with God, that shall never be forgotten, look up to Jesus Christ, go to Jesus Christ. He must help, and He must strengthen, and He must keep thee, or else thou wilt never be able to " keep thy covenant ;" hear Him, else, "without me ye can do nothing." And as Christ speaks thus in the negative ; so you may hear the apostle speaking by blessed experience in the affirmative ; '' I can do all things through Jesus Christ, Who strengtheneth me." Observe, I pray, " Without Me ye can do nothing. Through Christ I can do all things." Nothing, all things. There is a good deal of difference between two men ; take one without Christ, and, be his parts never so excellent, his resolutions never so strong, his engagements never so sacred, " he can do nothing ;" unless it be to " break his covenant and vows," as Samson brake his cords like threads scorched with the fire ; and, take the other with a Christ standing by him, and be he in himself never so weak and mean, unlearned and ungifted, lo, as if he were clothed with omnipotency, " he can do all things," he can subdue such corruptions, 296 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. conquer such temptations, perform such duties, and in such a manner, do such things, suffer such things, (and in all these keep his covenant with God) as to other men, and to himself before, were so many impossibilities ; he could not before, now he can. Nothing before, all things now. All things fit for an unglorified saint to do ; all things God expects from him ; all things in a gospel sense ; all things comparatively to other men, and to himself, when he was another man. See, I beseech you, how without a Christ, and thro' a Christ, makes one man differ from another ; yea, and from himself, as much as can and cannot ; all things and nothing; impotency and omnipotency, "Without me ye can do nothing." "Through Christ I can do all things." If therefore you would make a covenant with Eternity to eternity, study Christ more than ever, labour to "know nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." And therein these two things. Firsts Labour to get interest in Christ. Interest is the ground of influence; union the fountain or spring of com- munion ; so Christ, " as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." There you have the truth and the simile of it ; no fruit from Christ, without being and abiding in Christ ; there is truth : illustrated and proved by the vine and the branch ; there the simile, which is prosecuted and enlarged by our Saviour, And, as all communion ariseth from union, so look what the union is, such is the communion ; Christ was filled with the fulness of God because united to God; the saints receive of the fulness of Christ, because united to Christ. " I in them, and Thou in Me." Only here is the difference. Christ's union with His Father was personal, infinite, and substantial, and therefore the communications were answerable, " For God gave not the Spirit by measure unto Him." But the saints' union with Christ, being of an inferior nature ; their communications also are proportional ; yet such as serve SERMON AT LONDON. 297 poor creatures to all blessed saving purposes. And therefore with Paul, labour to " be found in Christ," that so you may know experimentally the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. All the power and virtue that are in Jesus Christ, are only for them that are in Him, as the branch in the root, as the members in the body. Christ is called the covenant of God. " I will give thee for a covenant of the people." As Calvin well expounds it, sponsor foederis^ the surety or undertaker of the covenant, of that second new covenant, between God and His people, not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also. A surety on both sides : the surety of God's covenant to them ; " For all the promises of God are in Him, yea, and in Him, Amen." He sees them all made good to the heirs of promise. And Christ again is the surety of their covenant unto God ; for He undertakes to make good all their covenants, and vows, and promises unto God. " Those that Thou gavest Me, 1 have kept," saith Christ. " And I live (saith Paul), yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." So that it is Christ who makes the covenant good on both sides, as God's to His people, so His people's to God ; and so it follows in that place of Isaiah, " I have given thee for a covenant to the people, to establish the earth ; " establishment must come from Christ, the undertaker, the surety of the covenant ; as He paid the debt for the time past, so He must see the articles of the covenant kept for the time to come. For want of such an undertaker or surety, the first covenant miscarried : It was between God and the creature, without a mediator ; and so the creature changing, the covenant was dissolved ; but the second, God meant should not miscarry, and therefore puts it into sure hands ; " I have laid help upon One that is mighty," speaking of Christ, and " I will give Thee for a covenant to the people." God hath furnished Christ where- withal to be a surety; to make good His covenant to His people, and their covenant to Him. 298 THE SOLEISIN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. But now, He hath this stock of all-sufficiency for none but these that are His members, He actually undertakes for none but those that are actually in Him ; " These that Thou hast given Me I have kept." He keeps none but them whom the Father hath given Him ; given Him so as to be in them, and they in Him. " I in them, they in Me." Well, if thou wouldst be unchangeable in thy covenant, get interest in Christ who is the covenant ; the unchangeable covenant; "The Amen, the faithful and true witness." "Yesterday and to-day, and the same for ever." Get interest, " count all things loss and dung, that thou mayst win Christ, and be found in Christ." Yea, do not only labour to get interest, but prove thy interest. Take not up a matter of so infinite concernment upon trust : all that thou dost covenant to God, and that God doth covenant to thee, depends upon it; and therefore, "work it out with fear and trembling, and give all diligence to make it sure unto thy soul." Study evidences, and be content with none but such as will bear weight in the " balance of the sanctuary ; " such as the word will secure ; such as to which the word will bear witness, that they are inconsistent with any Christless man or woman, whatsoever; and pray with un- wearying supplications that God will not only give thee interest, but clear thy interest, and seal up interest upon thy soul and thee, to the day of redemption. Second^ study influence when in Christ, then hast thou right to draw virtue from Christ, for behold, all the fulness that dwells in Christ is thine ; 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 virtue of thy interest in, and union with the Lord Jesus, it is all become thine. Hence you hear the believing soul making her boast of Christ, as before, for righteousness so also for strength. " In the Lord have I righteousness and strength." As righteousness for acceptance, so strength SERMON AT LONDON. 299 also for performance of such duties, as God in His covenant doth require and expect at the believer's hands : I have no strength of mine own, but in Christ I have enough ; " In the Lord I have righteousness and strength." Christ is the lord-keeper, or lord high steward, or lord treasurer; to receive in and lay out, for and to all that are in covenarit with the Father. And this is one main branch of God's covenant with the Redeemer, that He gives out to the heirs of promise, wherewithal to ''keep their covenant with God; so that they never depart from Him. "As for Me, 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 seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." These be the words of God the Father to the Redeemer, concerning all His spiritual seed ; " the Redeemer shall come to Zion." And that Spirit, and these words of life and grace which were upon the Redeemer, must be propagated to all His believing seed ; by virtue whereof, their covenant with God, shall m its proportion be like God's covenant with them (for indeed the one is but the counterpart of the other) unchangeable, everlasting. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them, 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 wisdom to draw out the excellencies of a man : " Counsel in the heart of a man is deep, but a man of understanding will draw it out." It is a fine art to be able to pierce a man, that is like a vessel full of wine, and set him a running ; but to draw out influence and virtue from the Lord Jesus is one of the most secret hidden mysteries in the life of a Christian : indeed 300 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. we may complain, " the well is deep, and we have nothing to draw withal." But labour to get your bucket of faith, that you may be able to "draw water out of this well of salvation." Labour by vital acts of a powerful faith ; set to work in meditation and prayer, to draw virtue and influence from Jesus Christ ; the mouth of prayer, and the breathings of faith from an heart soakt and steept in holy meditations, applied to Jesus Christ, will certainly (tho' perhaps insensibly) draw virtue from Him. Behold, faith drew virtue 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, O Christian, whoever thou art, even thou that art in Christ, consider, God hath not trusted thee with grace enough before hand, for one month, no, not for a week, a day ; nay, thou hast not grace enough before hand for the per- formance of the next duty, or the conquering of the next temptation ; nor for the expediting thyself out of the next difficulty ; and why so ? But that thou mayest learn to live by continual dependence upon Jesus Christ, as Paul did, *' 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 : God hath laid up all our treasure of " wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption in Jesus Christ," and will have us live from hand to mouth, that so we might be safe, and God's free grace be exalted : " 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 ; lo. He calls you. "Look unto Me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth." Surely they are worthy to perish, who will not bestow a look upon SERMON AT LONDON. 30I salvation : oh, look humbly, and look believingly, and look continually ; look for interest, look for influence, look for righteousness, 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 only : 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 sense, to acceptation, to perpetuity. I have now done with these three queries ; What ? Why ? How? How to (i) Acceptation? and (2) Perpetuity? I know much more might be added, but the Work to which we are to address ourselves, will take up much time ; the Lord set home what hath been spoken. Only 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 ; that " by keeping covenant it should stand." And the breaking of that covenant was the breaking of Zedekiah and his whole family and kingdom. Now was covenant-breach, or fidelity the foundation of stability or ruin to that kingdom, which was struck, but with a dying man ; how much more is the rise and fall of this kingdom ; yea, of these two kingdoms, bound up in the observation or forfeiture of this covenant, which we make this day with the living God ? You that wish well to the kingdoms, that would not see the downfall and ruin thereof; be from henceforth more conscientious of your covenant, than ever heretofore ; for surely, upon the success of this covenant we stand or fall; as we deal with the covenant, God will 302 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. deal with us ; if we slight the covenant, God will slight us ; if we have mean thoughts of the covenant, God will have mean thoughts of us ; if we forget the covenant, God will forget us ; if we break the covenant, we may look that God shall break these two nations, and break us all to pieces ; if we reject it, God will reject us ; if we regard our covenant, God will regard His covenant, and regard us too ; if we remember the covenant, God will remember His, and remember us ; if we keep the covenant, the covenant will keep us, and our posterity for ever. There are a people of whom I hear God speaking gracious words. " Surely they are My people, children that will not lie." My people. Mine by covenant ; I have brought them into the bond of the covenant ; I have made My covenant with them, and they have made their covenant with Me : and they be children that will not lie ; I know they will deal no more as a lying and treacherous generation with Me, but will be a faithful people in their covenant ; and I will be a faithful God unto them ; " I will be their Saviour, they will serve Me, and I will save them." Now the Lord make us such a people unto Him, children that will not lie, and He be such a God to us ; He be our Saviour, a Saviour to both kingdoms, and every soul that makes this covenant ; to save us from sin, and to save us from destruction ; to save us from our enemies without, and to save us from our enemies within ; to save us from the devil, and to save us from the world, and to save us from ourselves ; to save us from the lusts of men, and to save us from our own lusts ; to save us, and to save our posterity : to save us from Rome, and save us from hell ; to save us from wrath present, and from wrath to come ; to save us here, and to save us hereafter ; to save us to Himself in grace, and to save us with Himself in glory, to all eternity, for Christ's sake. Amen, and Amen. THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT: AN ORDINANCE OF THE LORDS AND COMMONS, Issued February 2, 1644. Whereas a covenant for the preservation and reformation of religion, the maintenance and defence of laws and liber- ties, hath been thought a fit and excellent means to acquire the favour of Almighty God towards the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland; and likewise to unite them, and by uniting, to strengthen and fortify them against the common enemy of the true reformed religion, peace and prosperity of these kingdoms : and whereas both houses of parliament in England, the cities of London and West- minster, and the kingdom of Scotland, have already taken the same ; it is now ordered and ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, that the same covenant be solemnly taken, in all places throughout the kingdom of England, and dominion of Wales. And for the better and more orderly taking thereof, these directions ensuing are appointed and enjoined strictly to be followed. I?is (ructions for the taking of the Solemn League and Covenant throughout the Kingdom. I. That the speakers of both Houses of Parliament do speedily send, to the lord general, and all other com- manders in chief, and governors of towns, forts, castles, and 304 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. garrisons ; as also to the earl of Warwick, lord high admiral of England, true copies of the said Solemn League and Covenant, to the end it may be taken by all officers and soldiers under their several commands. 2. That all the knights and burgesses now in parliament, do take special care, speedily to send down into their several counties (which are, or shall hereafter be under the power of the parliament) a competent number of true copies of the said league and covenant, unto the committees of parlia- ment, in their several counties ; and that the said committees do within six days at the most disperse the said copies to every parish-church or chapel in their several counties, to be delivered unto the ministers, church-wardens, or constables of the several parishes. 3. That the said committees be required to return a certificate of the day when they received the said copies, as also the day they sent them forth, and to what parishes they have sent them ; which certificate they are to return to the clerk of the parliament, appointed for the commons' house, that so an account may be given of it, as there shall be occasion. 4. That the several ministers be required to read the said covenant publicly unto their people, the next Lord's day after they receive it, and prepare their people for it, against the time that they shall be called to take it. 5. That the said league and covenant be taken by the committees of parliament, in the place where they reside, and tendered also to the inhabitants of the town, within seven days after it comes to the said committee's hands. 6. That the said committees after l^they have taken it themselves, do speedily disperse themselves through the said counties, so as three or four of them be together, on days appointed, at the chief places of meeting, for the several divisions of the said counties : and summon all the ministers, church-wardens, constables, and other officers ORDINANCE OF LORDS AND COMMONS. 305 unto that place, where, after a sermon preached by one appointed by the committee for that purpose, they cause the same minister to tender the league and covenant unto all such ministers, and other officers, to be taken and sub- scribed by them, in the presence of the said committees. 7. That the said committees do withal give the said ministers in charge, to tender it unto all the rest of their parishioners the next Lord's day, making then unto their said parishioners some solemn exhortation, concerning the taking and observing thereof : and that the said committees do also return to the several parishes, the names of all such as have taken the covenant before them, who yet shall also subscribe their names in the book or roll with their neigh- bours, in their several parishes : and if any minister refuse or neglect to appear at the said summons, or refuse to take the said covenant before the committee, or to tender it to his parish, that then the committees be careful to appoint another minister to do it in his place. 8. That this league and covenant be tendered to all men, within the several parishes, above the age of eighteen, as well lodgers as inhabitants. 9. That it be recommended to the earl of Manchester, to take special care, that it be tendered and taken in the university of Cambridge. 10. That for the better encouragement of all sorts of persons to take it, it be recommended to the assembly of divines, to make a brief declaration, by way of exhortation, to all sorts of persons to take it, as that which they judge not only lawful, but (all things considered) exceeding expedient and necessary, for all that wish well to religion, the king and kingdom, to join in, and to be a singular pledge of God's gracious goodness to all the three kingdoms. 11. That if any minister do refuse to take, or to tender the covenant, or any other person, or persons, do not take it the Lord's day that it is tendered, that then it be tendered u 3o6 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. to them again the Lord's day following, and if they still continue to refuse it, that then their names be returned by the minister that tenders it, and by the church-wardens, or constables, unto the committees, and by them to the house of commons, that such further course may be taken with them, as the houses of parliament shall see cause. 12. That all such persons as are within the several parishes, when notice is given of the taking of it, and do absent themselves from the church at the time of taking it, and come not in afterwards, to the minister and church- wardens or other officers, to take it in their presence before the return be made, be returned as refusers. 13. The manner of the taking it to be thus; "The minister to read the whole covenant distinctly and audibly in the pulpit, and, during the time of the reading thereof, the whole congregation to be uncovered, and at the end of his reading thereof, all to take it standing, lifting up their right hands bare, and then afterwards to subscribe it severally by writing their names, (or their marks, to which their names are to be added) in a parchment roll, or a book, whereinto the covenant is to be inserted, purposely provided for that end, and kept as a record in the parish." 14. That the Assembly of Divines do prepare an exhortation for the better taking of the covenant : and that the said exhortation, and the declaration of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, joined in the armies for the vindication and defence of their religion, liberties and laws, against the popish, prelatical and malignant party, and passed the thirty of January last, be publicly read, when the covenant is read, according to the fourth and fifth articles : and that a sufficient number of the copies of the said declaration be sent by the persons, appointed to send the true copies of the said covenant, in the first and second articles. THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT: EXHORTATION BY THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY. If the power of religion or solid reason, if loyalty to the king and piety to their native country, or love to ihemsclves and natural affection to their posterity, if the example of men touched with a deep sense of all these, or extraordinary success from God thereupon, can awaken an embroiled, bleeding remnant to embrace the sovereign and only means of their recovery, there can be no doubt but this solemn league and covenant will find, wheresoever it shall be tendered, a people ready to entertain it with all cheerfulness and duty. And were it not commended to the kingdom by the concurrent encouragement of the honourable Houses of Parliament, the Assembly of Divines, the renowned city of London, multitudes of other persons of eminent rank and quality in this nation, and the whole body of Scotland, who have all willingly sworn and subscribed it, with rejoicing at the oath, so graciously seconded from heaven already by blasting the counsels, and breaking the power of the enemy more than ever ; yet it goeth forth in its own strength, with such convincing evidence of equity, truth and righteousness, as may raise in all (not wilfully ignorant, or miserably seduced) inflamed affections to join with their brethren in this happy bond, for putting an end to the present miseries, and for saving of both king and kingdom from utter ruin, now so strongly and openly laboured by the popish faction, 3o8 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. and such as have been bewitched and besotted by that viperous and bloody generation. For what is there almost in this covenant, which was not for substance either expressed, or manifestly included in that solemn protestation of May 5 th, 1641, wherein the whole kingdom stands engaged until this day ? The sinful neglect whereof doth (as we may justly fear) open one flood- gate the more to let in all these calamities upon the kingdom, and cast upon it a necessity of. renewing covenant, and of entering into this. If it be said, the extirpation of prelacy, to wit, the whole hierarchical government (standing, as yet, by the known laws of the kingdom) is new and unwarrantable : this will appear to all impartial understandings, (tho' new) to be not only warrantable, but necessary ; if they consider (to omit what some say, that this government was never formally established by any laws of this kingdom at all) that the very life and soul thereof is already taken from it by an act passed in this present parliament, so as (like Jezebel's carcase of which no more was left but the skull, the feet, and the palms of her hands) nothing of jurisdiction remains, but what is precarious in them, and voluntary in those who submit unto them : that their whole government is at best but a human constitution, and such as is found and adjudged by both houses of parliament, (in which the judgment of the whole kingdom is involved and declared) not only very prejudicial to the civil state, but a great hindrance also to the perfect reformation of religion. Yea, who knoweth it not to be too much an enemy thereunto, and destructive to the power of godliness, and pure administration of the ordinances of Christ ? Which moved the well-affected, almost throughout this kingdom, long since to petition this parliament (as hath been desired before, even in the reign of queen Elizabeth, and of king James) for a total abolition of the same. Nor is any man hereby bound EXHORTATION BY THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY. 3O9 to offer any violence to their persons, but only in his place and calling, to endeavour their extirpation in a lawful way. And as for those clergymen, who pretend that they (above all others) cannot covenant to extirpate that government, because they have (as they say) taken a solemn oath to obey the bishops, in licitis et honestis : they can tell, if they please, that they that have sworn obedience to the laws of the land, are not thereby prohibited from endeavouring by all lawful means the abolition of those laws, when they prove inconvenient or mischievous. And if yet there should any oath be found, into which any ministers or others have entered, not warranted by the laws of God and the land, in this case they must teach themselves and others, that such oaths call for repentance, not pertinacity in them. If it be pleaded, That this covenant crosseth the oaths of supremacy and allegiance ; there can be nothing further from truth ; for, this covenant binds all and more strongly engageth them to " preserve and defend the king's majesty's person, and authority, in the preservation and defence of the true religion and liberties of the kingdoms." That scruple. That this is done without the king's consent, will soon be removed, if it be remembered, that the protesta- tion of the fifth of May, before-mentioned, was in the same manner voted and executed by both houses, and after (by order of one house alone) sent abroad to all the kingdom, his majesty not excepting against it, or giving any stop to it, albeit he was resident in person at Whitehall. Thus Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra x. Neh. ix.) drew all the people into a covenant without any special commission from the Persian monarchs (then their sovereigns) so to do, albeit they were not free subjects, but vassals, and one of them the servant of Artaxerxes, then by conquest king of Judah also. Nor hath this doctrine or practice been deemed seditious or unwarrantable by the princes, that have sat upon the English throne, but justified and defended by Queen 310 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Elizabeth of blessed memory, with the expense of much treasure and noble blood, in the united provinces of the Netherlands combined not only without, but against the unjust violence of Philip, king of Spain ; king James followed her steps, so far as to approve their union, and to enter into a league with them as free states ; which is continued by his majesty now reigning, unto this day ; who both by his expedition for relief of Rochel in France, and his strict con- federacy with the prince of Orange, and the states general, notwithstanding all the importunity of Spain to the contrary, hath set to his seal that all that had been done by his royal ancestors, in maintainance of those who had so engaged and combined themselves, was just and warrantable. And what had become of the religion, laws, and liberties of our sister nation of Scotland, had they not entered into such a solemn league and covenant at the beginning of the late troubles there ? Which course however it was at first, by the popish and prelatic projectors, represented to his majesty, as an offence of the highest nature, justly deserving chastisement by the fury of a puissant army ; yet when the matter came afterwards in cool blood to be debated, first by commissioners of both kingdoms, and then in open parlia- ment here, (when all those of either house, who are now engaged at Oxford, were present in parliament, and gave their votes therein) it was found, adjudged and declared by the king in parliament, that our dear brethren of Scotland had done nothing but what became loyal and obedient subjects, and were by act of parliament publicly righted in all the churches of this kingdom, where they had been defamed. Therefore, however some men, hoodwinked and blinded by the artifices of those Jesuitical engineers, who have long conspired to sacrifice our religion to the idolatry of Rome, our laws, liberties and persons to arbitrary slavery, and our estates to their insatiable avarice, may possibly be deterred and amused with high threats and declarations, flying up EXHORTATION BY THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY. 3II and down on the wings of the royal name and countenance, now captivated and prostituted to serve all their lusts, to proclaim all rebels and traitors who take this covenant ; yet, let no faithful English heart be afraid to join with our brethren of all the three kingdoms in this solemn league, as sometimes the men of Israel, although under another king, did with the men of Judah, at the invitation of Hezekiah. What though those tongues set on fire by hell do rail and threaten? That God who was pleased to clear up the innocency of Mordecai and the Jews, against all the malicious aspersions of wicked Haman to his and their sovereign, so as all his plotting produced but this effect, that (Esther ix.) " When the king's commandments and decree drew near to be put in execution, and the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, it was turned to the contrary, and the Jews had rule over them that hated them, and laid hands on such as sought their hurt, so as no man could with- stand them ;" and that same God, who, but even as yesterday vouchsafed to disperse and scatter those dark clouds and fogs, which overshadowed that loyal and religious kingdom of Scotland, and to make their righteousness to shine as clear as the sun at noon-day, in the very eyes of their greatest enemies, will doubtlessly stand by all those who, with singleness of heart, and a due sense of their own sins, and a necessity of reformation, shall now enter into an everlasting covenant with the Lord, never to be forgotten, to put an end to all those unhappy and unnatural breaches between the king and such as are faithful in the land ; causing their "righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations," to the terror and confusion of those men of blood, the confederate enemies of God and the king, who have long combined, and have now raked together the dregs and scum of many kingdoms, to bury all the glory, honour and liberty of this nation in the eternal grave of dishonour and destruction. THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. SERMON AT LONDON. By EDMOND C ALA my.'' "Truce-breakers (or covenant-breakers).'' — 2 Tim. iii. 3. In the beginning of the chapter, the apostle tells us the condition that the church of God should be in, in the last days. " This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." In the second verse, he tells us the reason why these times should be such hard and dangerous times ; '' for men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous," (S:c. The reason is not drawn from the miseries and calamities of the last times, but from the sins and iniquities of the last times. It is sin and iniquity that make times truly perilous. Sin, and sin only, takes away God's love and favour from a nation, and makes God turn an enemy to it. Sin causeth God to take away the purity and power of His ordinances from a nation. Sin makes all the creatures to be armed against us, and makes our own consciences to fight against us. Sin is the cause of all the causes of perilous times. Sin is the cause of our civil wars. * This Sermon was delivered by Rev. Edmond Calamy, a member of the Westminster Assembly, on January 14, 1645, " before the then Lord Mayor of the City of London, Sir Thomas Adams ; together with the Sheriffs, Aldermen, and Common Council of the said City, being the day of their taking the Solemn League and Covenant, at Michael Basenshaw, London." SERMON AT LONDON. 313 Sin is the cause of our divisions. Sin is the cause why men fall into such dangerous errors. Sin brings such kinds of judgments, which no other thing can bring. Sin brings invisible, spiritual, and eternal judgments. It is sin that makes God give over a nation to a reprobate sense. Sin makes all times dangerous. Let the times be never so prosperous, yet if they be sinful times, they are times truly dangerous. And if they be not sinful, they are not danger- ous, though never so miserable. It is sin that makes afflictions to be the fruits of God's avenging wrath, part of the curse due to sin, and a beginning of hell. It is sin, and sin only, that embitters every affliction. Let us for ever look upon sin through these scripture spectacles. The apostle, in four verses, reckons up nineteen sins, as the causes of the miseries of the last days. I may truly call these nineteen sins, England's looking-glass, wherein we may see what are the clouds that eclipse God's countenance from shining upon us ; the mountains that lie in the way to hinder the settlement of church-discipline : even these nine- teen sins, which are as an iron-whip of nineteen strings, with which God is whipping England at this day; which are as nineteen faggots, with which God is burning and devouring England. My purpose is not to speak of all these sins ; only let me propound a divine project, how to make the times happy for soul and body. And that is to strike at the root of all misery, which is sin and iniquity : to repent for and from all these nineteen sins, which are as the oil that feeds and increases the flame that is now consuming of us. For, because men are lovers of them- selves, usque ad conte?}iptum Dei et republiav ; because men drive their own designs, not only to the neglect, but contempt of God and the commonwealth. Because men are covetous, lovers of the world, more than lovers of God. Because they are proud in head, heart, looks and apparel. Because they are unthankful, turning the mercies 314 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. of God into instruments of sin, and making darts with God's blessings to shoot against God. Because men are unholy and heady, and make many covenants, and keep none. Because they are (as the Greek word diaboloi signifieth) devils, acting the devil's part, in accusing the brethren, and in bearing false witness one against another. Because they have a "form of godliness, denying the power thereof." Hence it is that these times are so sad and bloody. These are thy enemies, O England, that have brought thee into this desolate condition ! If ever God lead us back into the wilderness, it will be because of these sins. And therefore, if ever ye would have blessed days, you must make it your great business to remove these nineteen mountains, and repent of these land-devouring and soul-destroying abomina- tions. At this time, I shall pick out the first and tenth sin to speak on. The first is. Self-love ; which is placed in the forefront, as the cause of all the rest. Self-love is not only a sin that makes the times perilous, but it is the cause of all these sins that make the times perilous ; for, because men are lovers of themselves, therefore they are covetous, proud, unholy. The tenth sin is. Truce-breakers^ and, for fear lest the time should prevent me, I shall begin with this sin first. The tenth sin then is truce-breakers; or, as Rom. i. 31., "Covenant-breakers." The Greek woid is aspondoi^ which signifieth three things; First^ Such as tsxq. foederis iiescii as Beza renders it ; or, as others, infoederabilis ; that is, such as lefuse to enter into covenant. Or, Secondly^ Such as are fcedifragi^ qui pacta non servant^ as Estius hath it, or si7ie fide, as Ambrose ; that is, such as break faith and covenant. Or, Thirdly, Such as are iinplacabilis ; or, as others, sine pace ; that is, such as are implacable, and haters of peace. According to this threefold sense of the word, I shall gather these three observations. SERMON AT LONDON. 315 Doctrine i. That to be a covenant-refuser is a sin that makes the times perilous. Doct. 2. That^ to be a covenant-breaker is a sin that makes the times perilous. Doct 3. That to be a peace-hater, or a truce-hater, is a sin that makes the times perilous. Doct. I. That to be a covenant refuser is a sin that makes the times perilous ; to be fcederis nescius, or inf(xderabilis. For the understanding of this, you must know that there are two sorts of covenants, there are devilish and hellish covenants, and there are godly and religious covenants. First, There are devilish covenants, such as Acts xxiii. 12, and Isa. xxviii. 15, such as the holy league, as it was unjustly called in France, against the Huguenots, and that of our gun-powder traitors in England. Now, to refuse to make such covenants is not to make the times perilous, but the taking of them makes the times perilous. Secondly, There are godly covenants, as Psal. cxix. 106, and as 2 Chron. xv. 14 : and such as this is which you are met to take this day. For you are to swear to such thmgs which you are bound to endeavour after, though you did not swear. Your swearing is not solum vmcuhwi^ but novum vinculum^ is not the only, but only a new and another bond to tie you to the obedience of the things you swear unto ; which are so excellent and so glorious, that if God gave those that take it a heart to keep it, it will make these three kingdoms the glory of the world. And as one of the reverend commissioners of Scotland said, when it was first taken in a most solemn manner at West- minister, by the parliament and the assembly, " That if the pope should have this covenant written upon a wall over against him sitting in his chair, it would be unto him like the hand-writing to Belshazzar, causing his joints to loose, and his knees to smite one against another." And I may add, that if it be faithfully and fully kept, it will make all 3l6 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. the devils in hell to tremble, as fearing lest their kingdom should not stand long. Now then, for a man to be an anti- covenanter, and to be such a covenant-refuser, it must needs be a sin that makes the times perilous. And the reasons are, i. Because you shall find in scrip- ture, That when any nation did enter into a solemn religious covenant, God did exceedingly bless and prosper that nation after that time, as "That thou shouldst enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, that He may establish thee to-day for a people to Himself, and that He may be unto thee a God." And therefore to be a covenant-refuser, is to make our miseries perpetual. 2. Because it is the highest act of God's love to man, to vouchsafe to engage Himself by oath and covenant to be his God ; so it is the highest demonstration of man's love to God, to bind him- self by oath and covenant to be God's. There is nothing obligeth Cxod more to us, than to see us willing to tie and bind ourselves unto His service : and therefore, they that in this sense are anti- covenanters are sons of Belial, that refuse the yoke of the Lord, that say, " Let us break His bands asunder, and cast away His cords, from us ; " such as ode runt vincula piefatis, which is a soul -destroying, and a land-destroying sin. 3. Because that the union of England, Scotland and Ireland, into one covenant, is the chief, if not the only preservative of them at this time. You find in our English chronicles, that England was never destroyed, but when divided within itself. Our civil divisions brought in the Romans, the Saxons, Danes and Normans ; but now the anti-covenanters divide the parliament within itself, and the city within itself, and England against itself; they are as stones separated from the building, which are of no use to itself, and threaten the ruin of the building. Jesus Christ is called in Scripture, the " Corner-stone," which is a stone that unites the two ends of the building together. Jesus Christ is a stone of SERMON AT LONDON. 317 union : and therefore they that sow division, and study unjust separation, have little of Jesus Christ in them. A\'hen the ten tribes began to divide from the other two tribes, they presently began to war one against another, and to ruin one another : the anti-covenanter, he divides and separates and disunites. And therefore he makes perilous times. My chief aim is at the second doctrine. Doctrine 2. That for a covenant-taker to be a covenant- breaker, is a sin that makes the times perilous. For the opening of this point, I must distinguish again of covenants.. There are civil, and there are religious covenants ; a civil covenant is a covenant between man and man ; and of this the text is primarily, though not only, to be understood. Now, for a man to break promise and covenant with his brother, is a land-destroying, and a soul-destroying abomina- tion. We read, 2 Sam. xxi., that because Saul had broken the covenant that Joshua made with the Gibeonites, God sent a famine in David's time, of three years' continuance, to teach us that, if we falsify our word and oath, God will avenge covenant-breaking, though it be forty years after. Famous is that text in Jeremiah. Because the princes and the people brake the covenant which they had made with their servants, though but their servants, God tells them, " Because ye have not hearkened unto Me, in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother. . . . Behold, I proclaim liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine : and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." We read also, that God tells Zedekiah, because he brake the covenant he had made with the king of Babylon, that therefore, " He would recom- pense upon his head the oath that he had despised, and the covenant that he had broken, and would bring him to Babylon, and plead with him there for the trespass which he had trespassed against the Lord." David tells us, that it is a sin that shuts a man out of heaven. The Turkish history 31 8 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. tells US of a covenant made between Amurath, that great Turk, and Ladislaus, king of Hungary, and how the pope absolved Ladislaus from the oath, and provoked him to renew the war : in which war the Turk, being put to the worst, and despairing of victory, pulls out a paper which he had in his bosom, wherein the league was written, and said, '• O Thou God of the Christians, if Thou beest a true God, be avenged of those that have, without cause, broken the league made by calling upon Thy name." And the story says, that after he had spoken these words, he had, as it were, "a new heart, and spirit put into him and his soldiers," and that they obtained a glorious victory over Ladislaus. Thus God avenged the quarrel of man's covenant. The like story we read of Rudolphus, duke of Sweden, who, by the pope's instigation, waged war with Henry IV., emperor of Germany, to whom he had sworn to the contrary. But, in the fight it chanced that Rudolphus lost his right hand, and falling sick upon it, he called for it and said, " Behold this right hand with which I subscribed to the emperor, with which I have violated my oath, and therefore I am rightly punished." I will not trouble you with relating that gallant story of Regulus, that chose rather to expose himself to a cruel death, than to falsify his oath to the Carthaginians. The sum of all is, if it be such a crying abomination to break covenant between man and man ; and if such persons are accounted as the off-scouring of men, not worthy to live in a Christian, no, not in a heathen common-wealth : if it be a sin that draws down vengeance from heaven ; much more for a man to enter into covenant with the great Jehovah, and to break such a religious engagement : this must needs be a destroying and soul-damning sin. And of such religious covenants I am now to speak. There are two covenants that God made with man, a covenant of nature, and a covenant of grace. The covenant of nature, or of works, was made with Adam, and all man- SERMON AT LONDON. 319 kind in him. This covenant Adam broke, and God presently had a quarrel against him for breaking of it. And, to avenge the quarrel of the covenant, he was thrust out of paradise, and there was a sword also placed at the east end of the garden of Eden, to avenge covenant-breaking. And by nature we are all children of wrath, heirs of hell, because of the breach of that covenant. And therefore we should never think of original sin, or of the sinfulness and cursed- ness of our natural condition, but we should remember what a grievous sin covenant-breaking is. But, after man was fallen, God was pleased to strike a new covenant, which is usually called a covenant of grace, or of reconciliation. This was first propounded to Adam by way of promise, " The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." And then to Abraham by way of covenant, '* In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed." And then to Moses by way of testament. It is nothing else but the free and gracious tender of Jesus Christ, and all His rich purchases to all the lost and undone sons of Adam, that shall believe in Him : or as the phrase is, "That shall take hold of the covenant.'' Now you must know that baptism is a seal of this covenant, and that all that are baptised do, sacramentally at least, engage themselves to walk before God, and to be upright ; and God likewise engages Himself to be their God. This covenant is likewise renewed when we come to the Lord's Supper, wherein we bind ourselves, by a sacramental oath, unto thankfulness to God for Christ. Add further, that besides this general covenant of grace, whereof the sacraments are seals, there are particular and personal, and family and national covenants. Thus, Job had his covenant; and David. And when he came to be king, he joined in covenant \nth his people to serve the Lord. Thus Asa, Jehoiada, Josiah, and others. Thus the people of Israel had not only a covenant in circumcision, but renewed a covenant at Horeb and Moab, 320 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, and did often again and again bind themselves to God by vow and covenant. And thus the churches of Christ. Christians, besides the vows in baptism, have many personal and national engagements unto God by covenant, which are nothing else but the renovations and particular applications of that first vow in baptism. Of this nature is that you are to renew this day. Now give me leave to shew you what a sword-procuring and soul-undoing sin, this sin of covenant-breaking is ; and then the reason of it. Famous is that text, "And I will send My sword, which shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant." The words in the Hebrew run thus, "I will avenge the avengement," which importeth this much, that God is at open war and at public defiance with those that break His covenant : He is not only angry with them, but He will be revenged of them. " The Lord hath a controversy with all covenant-breakers." " The Lord will walk contrary to them." First, God takes His people into covenant, and then He tells them of the happy condition they should be in, if they did keep the covenant ; but if they did break covenant, He tells them, " that the Lord will not spare him ; but the anger of the Lord and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven, and the Lord shall separate him. And when the nation shall say. Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto the land ? What meaneth the heat of this great anger ? Then shall men say. Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers.' This was the sin that caused God to send His people Israel into captivity, and to remove the candlestick from the Asian churches. It is for this sin, that the sword is now devouring Germany, Ireland, and England. God hath sent His sword to avenge the quarrel of His covenant. The reasons why this sin is a God-provoking sin, are, SERMON AT LONDON. 32 1 First, because that, to sin against the covenant is a greater sin than to sin against a commandment of God, or to sin against a promise, or to sin against an ordinance of God. 1. It is a greater sin than to break a commandment of God ; for the more mercy there is in the thing we sin against, the greater is the sin. Now there is more mercy in a covenant than in a bare commandment. The commandment tells us our duty, but gives no power to do it. But the covenant of grace, gives power to do what it requires to be done. And therefore, if it be a hell-procuring sin to break the least of God's commandments, much more to be a covenant-breaker, 2. It is a greater sin than to sin against a promise of God ; because a covenant is a promise joined with an oath. It is a mutual stipulation between God and us : and therefore, if it be a great sin to break promise, much more to break covenant. 3. It is a greater sin than to sin against an ordinance, because the covenant is the root and ground of all the ordinances. It is by virtue of the covenant that we are made partakers of the ordinances : the word is the book of the covenant, and the sacraments are the seals of the covenant. And if it be a sin of an high nature to sin against the book of the covenant, and the seals of the covenant, much more against the covenant itself. To break covenant, is a fundamental sin ; it razeth the very foundation of Christianity, because the covenant is the foundation of all the privileges, and prerogatives, and hopes of the saints of God : and therefore we read that a stranger from the covenant is one " without hope." All hope of heaven is cut off, where the covenant is willingly broken. To break covenant is an universal sin, it includes all other sins. By virtue of the covenant, we tie ourselves to the obedience of God's commandments, we give up ourselves to the guidance of Jesus Christ, we own Him for our Lord and King ; all the promises of this life, and that which is to come, are contained within the covenant. The ordinances are fruits X 32 2 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. of the covenant : and therefore they that forsake the covenant, commit many sins in one, and bring not only many but all curses upon their heads. The sum of the first argument is, " If the Lord will avenge the quarrel of his commandments," if God was avenged upon the stick- gatherer for breaking the Sabbath, much more will he be avenged upon a covenant-breaker. If God will avenge the quarrel of an ordinance ; if they that reject the ordinances shall be punished, " of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy, that trample under their feet the blood of the covenant?" If God was avenged of those that abused the ark of the covenant, much more will He punish those that abuse the Angel of the covenant. The Second reason w^hy covenant-breaking is such a land destroying sin is, because it is a solemn and serious thing to enter into covenant with God ; a matter of such great weight and importance, that it is impossible but God should be exceedingly provoked with these that slight it, and disrespect it. The vow in baptism is the first, the most general, and the solemnest that any Christian took, saith Chrysostom ; wherein he doth not only promise, but engage himself by covenant in the sight of God, and His holy angels, to be the servant of Jesus Christ ; and therefore God will not hold him guiltless, that breaks this vow. The solemnity and weightiness of covenant-taking consisteth in three things. I. Because it is made with the glorious majesty of heaven and earth, who will not be trifled and baffled withal ; and therefore, what Jehoshaphat said to his judges, "Take heed what ye do : for ye judge not for men, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment. Wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you," the like I may say to every one that enters into covenant this day; "Take heed what ye do ; for it is the Lord's covenant, and there is no iniquity with the Lord : wherefore now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you ; for our God is a holy God, He is SERMON AT LONDON. 323 a jealous God, He will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins." 2. Because the articles of the covenant are weighty, and of great importance. In the covenant of grace, God engageth Himself to give Christ, and with Him all temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings, and we engage ourselves to be His faithful servants all our days. In this covenant, we oblige ourselves to do great matters, that nearly concern the glory of God, the good of our souls, and the happiness of the three kingdoms. And in such holy and heavenly things, which so nearly concern our everlasting estate, to dally and trifle must needs incense the anger of the great Jehovah. 3. The manner used both by Jews, heathens and Christians in entering into covenant, doth clearly set out the weightiness of it, and what a horrible sin it is to break it. The custom among the Jews, will appear by divers texts of scripture. It is said, " And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof." The words they used when they passed between the parts, were "So God divide me, if I keep not covenant." Nehemiah took an oath of the priests, and shook his lap, and said, " So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise; even thus be he shaken out and emptied. And all the congrega- tion said. Amen." Abraham divided the heifer, and she- goat, and a ram. "And when the sun was down, a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp, passed between these pieces." This did represent God's presence, saith Clemens Alex- andrinus, and as if God should say, " Behold, this day I enter into covenant with thee, and if thou keepest covenant, I will be as a burning lamp to enlighten, and to comfort thee : but if thou breakest covenant, I will be like a smoking furnace to consume thee." Thus also Moses makes a covenant with Israel, and offers sacrifices, and takes 324 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. the blood of the sacrifices and divides it, and half of it he sprinkles upon the altar, (which represents God's part) and the other half he sprinkles upon the people, as if he should say, "As this blood is divided, so will God divide you, if ye break covenant." This was the custom among the Jews, amongst the Romans. Sometimes they make covenants by taking a stone in their hands, and saying, " If I make this covenant seriously and faithfully, then let the great Jupiter bless me ; if not so, let me be cast away from the face of the gods, as I cast away this stone." This was called jiirare per Jovein lapidem. All these things are not empty notions and metaphorical shadows, but real and substantial practices ; signifying unto us, that God will and must (for it stands with His honour to do it) divide and break them in pieces that break covenant with Him. This day you are to take a covenant by the lifting up of your hands unto the most high God, which is a most emphatical ceremony, whereby we do as it were call God to be a witness and a judge of what we do, and a rewarder or revenger, according as we keep or break this covenant. If we keep it, the lifting up of our hands will be as an evening sacrifice ; if we break it, the lifting up our hands will be as the lifting up of the hands of a malefactor at the bar, and will procure woe and misery, and wringing of hands at the great day of appearing. The Third reason why God will be avenged of those that are covenant-breakers, is ; Because that a covenant is the greatest obligation and the most forcible claim that can be invented to tie us to obedience and service. God may justly challenge obedience without covenanting, by virtue of creation, preservation and redemption : He hath made us, and, when lost. He hath purchased us with His blood. But being willing more abundantly to manifest His love, that we be the more fastened to Him, He hath tied Himself to us, and us to Him, by the strong bond of a covenant : as if SERMON AT LONDON. 325 God should say, Oh ye sons of men ! I see you are rebelli- ous and sons of Belial, and therefore, if it be possible, I will make sure. I will engage you unto Me, not only by creation, preservation and redemption, but also by the right of covenant and association. I will make you Mine by promise and oath. And surely he that will break these bonds is as bad as the man possessed with the devil in the gospel, whom no chains could keep fast. When we enter into covenant with God, we take the oath of supremacy, and swear unto Him, that He should be our chief lord and governor, and that we will admit of no sovereign power or jurisdiction, but that God shall be all in all. We likewise take the oath of allegiance, to be His servants and vassals, and that He shall be our supreme in spirituals and temporals. Now, for a Christian that believes there is a God, to break both these oaths of allegiance and supremacy, it is cursed treason against the God of heaven, which surely God will be avenged of. Amongst the Romans, when any soldier was pressed, he took an oath to serve the captain faithfully, and not to forsake him, and he was called miles per sacrawentum. Sometimes one took an oath for all the rest, and the others only said, the same oath that A. B. took, the same do I. And these were called vnlites per conjiirationem. And when any soldier forsook his captain, he had the martial law executed upon him. Thus it is with every Christian : he is a professed soldier of Christ, he hath taken press-money, he hath sworn and taken the sacrament upon it to become the Lord's, he is miles per sacramentum^ and miles per con- jiirationem: and if he forsake his captain and break covenant, the great Lord of Hosts will be avenged of him, as it is written, " Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of the covenant." To break covenant is a sin of perjury, which is a sin of an high nature ; and if for oaths the land mourneth, much more for breach of oaths. To break covenant is a sin of spiritual adultery; for by 326 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. covenanting with God, we do as it were, "join ourselves in marriage to God," as the Hebrew word signifieth. Now, to break the marriage knot is a sin for which God may justly give a bill of divorce to a nation. To break covenant is a sin of injustice ; for by our covenant we do enter, as it were, into bond to God, and engage ourselves as a creditor to his debtor ; now the sin of injustice is a land-destroying sin. The Fourth reason why God must needs be avenged on those that are covenant-breakers, is, It is an act of the highest sacrilege that can be committed. For, by virtue of the covenant, the Lord lays claim to us as His peculiar inherit- ance. " I sware unto thee, and entered into covenant with thee, and thou becamest Mine." " I will be their God, and they shall be My people." It is a worthy observation, that in the covenant there is a double surrender, one on God's part, and another on our part. God Almighty makes a surrender of Himself, and of his Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Behold, saith God, I am wholly thy God ; all My power, and mercy, and goodness, all is thine ; My Son is thine, and all His rich purchases ; My Spirit is thine, and all His graces : this is God's surrender. On our part, when we take hold of the covenant, we make a delivery of our bodies and souls into the hands of God ; we choose Him to be our Lord and Governor, we resign up ourselves into His hands. I^rd, we are Thine at Thy disposing : we alienate ourselves, and make a deed of gift of ourselves, and give Thee lock and key of head, heart, and affections. This is the nature of every religious covenant, but especially of the covenant, of grace. But now, for a Christian to call in, as it were, his surrender, to disclaim his resignation, to steal away himself from God, and lay claim to himself after his alienation ; to fulfil his own lusts, to walk after his own ways, to do what he lists, and not what he hath covenanted to do, and so to rob God of what is His : this is the highest SERMON AT LONDON. 327 degree of sacrilege, which God will never suffer to go unpunished. And surely if the stick-gatherer, that did but alienate a little of God's time ; and Ananias and Sapphira, that withheld but some part of their estate : and if Bel- shazzar for abusing the consecrated vessels of the temple, were so grievously punished ; how much more will God punish those that alienate themselves from the service of that Cxod to whom they have sworn to be obedient ? It is observed by a learned author, of the famous commanders of the Romans, that they never prospered after they had defiled and robbed the temple of Jerusalem. First, Pompey the Great, went into the sanctiwi sanctorum, a place never before entered by any but the high-priest, and the Lord blasted him in all his proceedings, " that he that before that time wanted earth to overcome, had not at last earth enough to bury him withal." The next was Crassus, who took away 10,000 talents of gold from the temple, and afterward died, by having gold poured down his throat. The third was Cassius, who afterwards killed himself. If then God did thus avenge Himself of those that polluted His consecrated temple; much more will He not leave them unpunished, that are the living temples of the Holy Ghost, consecrated to God by covenant, and afterwards proving sacrilegious, robbing God of that worship and service, which they have sworn to give Him. The Fifth reason why this sin makes the times perilous, is ; Because covenant-breakers are reckoned amongst the number of those that have the mark of reprobation upon them. I do not say that they are all reprobates, yet I say, that the apostle makes it to be one of those sins which are committed by those that are given up " to a reprobate mind." The words are spoken of the heathen, and are to be understood of covenants made between man and man ; and then the argument will hold a fortiori. If it be the brand of a reprobate to break covenant with man, much 328 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. more a covenant n:iade with the great Jehovah by the lifting up of our hands to heaven. The Last reason is, because it is a sin against such infinite mercy. It is said, " Which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them ; " that is, although I had chosen them for my spouse, and married myself unto them with an everlasting covenant of mercy, and entailed heaven unto them, yet they have broken my covenant. This was a great provocation. Thus, " When thou wast in thy blood, and no eye pitied thee, to have compassion upon thee, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live : Yea, I said unto thee. Live." It is twice repeated. As if God should say, " Mark it, O Israel, when no eye regarded thee, then I said unto thee, Live." Behold, saith God, " Thy time was the time of love." Behold, and wonder at it. " And I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness : yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into cove- nant with thee, saith the Lord, and thou becamest Mine." And yet for all this, thou has sinned grievously against Me. " Wo, wo unto thee, saith the Lord God." There is a fivefold mercy in the covenant, especially in the covenant of grace, that makes the sin of covenant- breaking to be so odious. I. It is a mercy that the great God will vouchsafe to enter into covenant with dust and ashes. As David saith in another case, ." Is it a light thing to be the son-in-law of a king ? " So may I say, "Is it a light matter for the Lord of heaven and earth to condescend so far as to covenant with His poor creatures, and thereby to become their debtors, and to make them, as it were. His equals ? " When Jonathan and David entered into a covenant of friendship, though one was a king's son, the other a poor shepherd, yet there was a kind of equality between them. But this must be understood warily, according to the text. " Blessed be God, who hath called us unto the fellowship SERMON AT LONDON. 329 of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." He is still our Lord, though in fellowship with us. It is a covenant of infinite condescension on God's part, whereby He enters into a league of friendship with His people. 2. The mercy is the greater, because this covenant was made after the fall of Adam. After we had broken the first covenant, that the Lord should try us the second time, is not only an act of infinite goodness of God, but of infinite mercy. There is a difference between the goodness and the mercy of God. Goodness may be shewed to those that are not in misery: but mercy supposeth misery. And this was our condition after the breach of the first covenant. 3. That God should make this covenant with man, and not with devils. 4. This sets out the mercy of the covenant, because it contains such rare and glorious benefits, and therefore it is called a covenant of life and peace. "An everlasting covenant even the sure mercies of David." It is compared to the waters of Noah, Isa. liv. 6. Famous are those two texts; Exod. xix. 5, 6; Jer. xxxii. 40, 41— texts that hold forth strong consolation. By virtue of the covenant, heaven is not only made possible, but certain to all believers, and certain by way of oath. It is by virtue of the covenant that we call Him Father, and may lay claim to all the power, wisdom, goodness and mercy, that are in God. As Jehoshaphat told the king of Israel, to whom he was joined in covenant, " I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses : " so doth God say to all that are in covenant with Him, " My power is thine. My holiness is thine." By virtue of this covenant, whatsoever thou wantest, God cannot deny it thee, if it be good for thee. Say unto God, Lord, Thou hast sworn to take away my heart of stone, and to give me a heart of flesh. Thou hast sworn to write Thy law in my heart. Thou hast sworn to circumcise my heart, Thou hast sworn to give me Christ, to be my king, ^:^0 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. priest and prophet. And God cannot but be a covenant- keeper. By virtue of this covenant, God cannot but accept of a poor penitent sinner, laying hold upon Christ for pardon. In a word, we may challenge pardon and heaven by our covenant. God is not only merciful but just to forgive us ; we may challenge heaven through Christ, out of justice. And 5. That the condition of the covenant on our part should be upon such easy terms, therefore it is called a covenant of free grace, and all that God requires of us is to take hold of this covenant ; to receive this gift of righteousness ; to take all Christ, as He is tendered in the covenant ; and, that which is the greatest consolation of all, God hath promised in His covenant to do our part for us. Therefore it is called a testament, rather than a covenant. In the New Testament, the word diatheke^ is always used by the apostle, and not syntheke. Heaven is conveyed into the elect by way of legacy. It is part of God's testament, to write His law in our hearts, and to cause us to walk in His ways. Put these together, seeing there is such infinite mercy in the covenant. A mercy, for God to enter into covenant with us, to do it with us, and not the angels ; with us fallen, with us upon such easy terms, and to make such a covenant that contains so many, and not only so but all blessings here and hereafter, in the womb of it. It must needs be a land- destroying, and soul-destroying sin, to be a covenant-breaker. The use and application of this doctrine is fourfold. I. Of information. If it be such a land-destroying sin to be a covenant-breaker, let us from hence learn the true cause of all the miseries that have happened unto England in these late years. The womb out of which all our calamities are come — England hath broken covenant with God, and now God is breaking England in pieces, even as a potter breaks a vessel in pieces. " God hath sent His sword to avenge the quarrel of His covenant," as Christ whipped the buyers and sellers out of the temple, with whips SERMON AT LONDON. 331 made of the cords which they had brought to tie their oxen and sheep withal. A covenant is a cord to tie us to God ; and now God hath made an iron whip of that covenant which we have broken asunder, to whip us withal. We are a nation in covenant with God, we have the books of the covenant, the Old and New Testament; we have the seals of the covenant, baptism, and the Lord's supper ; we have the messengers of the covenant, the ministers of the Gospel ; we have the angel of the covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ, fully, freely, and clearly set out before us in the ministry of the word : but alas ! are not these blessings amongst us, as the ark was amongst the Philistines, rather as prisoners, than as privileges, rather in tesfhnoniu/fi et ruinam, quam in salutem ; rather for our ruin, than for our happiness ? May it not be said of us, as reverend Mulin said of the French protestants, " ^^'hile they burned us (saith he) for reading the scriptures, we burned with zeal to be reading of them ; now with our liberty is bred also negli- gence and disesteem of God's word." So is it with us, while we were under the tyranny of bishops ; Oh ! how sweet was a fasting day ? How beautiful were the feet of them that brought the gospel of peace unto you ? How dear and precious were God's people one to another ? But now, how are our fasting days slighted and vilified ? How are the people of God divided one from another, railing upon (instead of loving) one another? And is not the godly ministry as much persecuted by the tongues of some that would be accounted godly, as heretofore by the bishop's hands ? Is not the Holy Bible by some rather wrested than read ? Wrested, I say, by ignorant and unstable souls, to their own destruction ? And as for the seals of the covenant, i. For the Lord's supper, how oft have we spilt the blood of Christ by our unworthy approaches to His table ? And hence it is, that He is now spilling our blood ; how hard a matter is it, to obtain power to keep the blood" 33' THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. of Christ from being profaned by ignorant and scandalous communicants ? And can we think, that God will be easily entreated to sheath up His bloody sword, and to cease shedding our blood ? 2. For the sacrament of baptism ; how cruel are men grown to their little infants, by keeping of them from the seal of entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and making their children to be just in the same condition with the children of Turks and Infidels? I remember, at the beginning of these wars there was a great fear fell upon godly people about their little children, and all their care was for their preservation and their safety ; and for the continuance of the gospel to them. But now, our little children are likely to be in a worse condition than ever. And all this is come upon us as a just punishment of our baptismal covenant-breaking. And as for Jesus Christ, who is the angel of the covenant : are there not some amongst us that ungod Jesus Christ ? And is it not fit and equal that God should unchurch us and unpeople us ? Are there not thousands that have sworn to be Christ's servants, and yet are in their lives the vassals of sin and Satan ? And shall not God be avenged of such a nation as this? These things considered, it is no wonder our miseries are so great, but the wonder is that they are not greater. 2. An use of examination. Days of humiliation ought to be days of self-examination. Let us therefore upon such a day as this, examine, whether we be not amongst the number of those that make the times perilous, whether we be not covenant-breakers? Here I will speak of three covenants ; i . Of the covenant we have made with God in our baptism. 2. Of the covenant we have made with God in our distresses. 3. And especially of this covenant you are to renew this day. I. Of the covenant which we made in baptism, and renew every time we come to the Lord's supper, and upon our solemn days of fasting. There are none here, but I may SERMON AT LONDON. 333 say of them, "the vows of God are upon you." You are servi nati, etnpti, jurati, you are the born, bought, and sworn servants of God, you have made a surrender of your- selves unto God and Christ. The question I put to you is this : How often have you broken covenant with God ? It is said, " The sinners in Zion are afraid ; who shall dwell with everlasting torments ? Who shall dwell with devouring fire?" When God comes to a church-sinner, to a sinner under the Old Testament, much more to a Christian sinner, a sinner under the New Testament, and layeth to his charge his often covenant-breaking, fearfulness shall possess him, and he will cry out, " Oh ! woe is me, who can dwell with everlasting burnings? Our God is a consuming fire, and we are as stubble before Him ; who can stand before His indignation? Who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? When His fury is poured forth like fire, and the rocks are thrown down before Him. Who can stand?" Of all sorts of creatures, a sinful Christian shall not be able to stand before the Lord, when He comes to visit the world for their sins. For when a Christian sins against God, he sins not only against the commandment but against the covenant. And in every sin he is a command- ment-breaker, and a covenant-breaker. And therefore, whereas the apostle saith, "tribulation and anguish upon every soul that sinneth : but first upon the Jews," I may add, first, upon the Christian, then upon the Jew, and then upon the Grecian, because the covenant made with the Christian is called a better covenant : and therefore his sins have a higher aggravation in them. There is a notable passage in Austin, in which he brings in the devil thus pleading with God, against a wicked Christian at the day of judgment. Oh ! Thou righteous Judge, give righteous judgment ; judge him to be mine who refused to be Thine, even after he had renounced me in his baptism ; what had he to do to wear my livery? What had he to do with 334 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. gluttony, drunkenness, pride, wantonness, incontinency, and the rest of my ware ? All these things he hath practised, since he renounced the devil and all his works. Mine he is, judge righteous judgment ; for he whom Thou hast not disdained to die for, hath obliged himself to me by his sins. Now, what can God say to this charge of the devil's, but take him, devil, seeing he would be thine; take him, torment him with everlasting torments. Cyprian brings in the devil thus speaking to Christ in the great day of judgment. I have not (saith the devil) been whipped, and scourged, and crucified, neither have I shed my blood for those whom Thou seest with me ; I do not promise them a kingdom of heaven, and yet these men have wholly conse- crated themselves to me and my service. Indeed, if the devil could make such gainful covenants with us, and bestow such glorious mercies upon us as are contained within the covenant, our serving of Satan and sin might have some excuse. But, whereas his covenant is a covenant of bondage, death, hell, and damnation ; and God's covenant is a covenant of liberty, grace, and eternal happiness, it must needs be a sin inexcusable to be willingly and wilfully such a covenant-breaker. 2. Let us examine concerning the vows which we have made to God in our distresses ; in our personal distresses, and our national distresses. Are we not like the children of Israel, of whom it is said, " When He slew them, then they sought Him, and they returned and inquired early after God. Nevertheless they did flatter Him with their mouth. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they stedfast in His covenant." Are we not like little children that, while they are being whipped, will promise any thing ; but, when the whipping is over, will perform nothing ? Or like unto iron that is very soft and malleable while it is in the fire, but, when it is taken out of the fire, returns presently to its former hardness ? This was Jacob's fault : he made a SERMON AT LONDON. 335 VOW when he was in distress, but he forgot his covenant, and God was angry with him, and chastised him in his daughter, Dinah, and in his two sons, Simeon and Levi ; and at last God Himself was fain to call him from heaven to keep covenant ; and after that time God blessed Jacob exceedingly. We read of David, that he professes of him- self, " That he would go to God's house, and pay the vows which his lips uttered, and his mouth had spoken, when he was in trouble." But, how few are there that imitate David in this thing. 3. Let us examine ourselves concerning this Solemn League and Covenant which we are to renew this day. And here I demand an answer to this question. Quest. Are we not covenant-breakers ? Do we not make the times perilous by our falsifying of our oath and covenant with God ? In our covenant we swear to six things. 1. "That we will endeavour to be humbled for our own sins, and for the sins of the kingdom : " But where shall we find a mourner in England for his own abominations, and for the abominations that are committed in the midst of us ? It is easy to find a censurer of the sins of the land, but hard to find a true mourner for the sins of the land. 2. We swear "that we will endeavour to go before one another in the example of a real reformation." But who makes conscience of this part of the oath ? What sin hast thou left, or in what one thing hast thou reformed since thou didst take this covenant? We read, "That they entered into a covenant to put away their wives and children by them," which was a very difficult and hard duty, and yet they did it. But what bosom-sin, what beloved sin, as dear to thee as thy dear wife and children, hast thou left for God's sake, since thou tookest this oath ? I read, That the people took an oath to make restitution, which was a costly duty, and yet they performed it. But alas I where is the man that hath made restitution of his ill-gotten goods since he $^6 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. took this covenant? I read, that king Asa deposed his mother Maachah, her even, from being queen, after he had entered into covenant : and that the people, after they had sworn a covenant, brake in pieces all the altars of Baal thoroughly. But where is this thorough reformation. We say, we fight for a reformation, but I fear lest in a little time, we fight away our reformation. Or, if we fight it not away, yet we should dispute it away. For all our religion is turned into questions, in so much that there are some that call all religion into question, and in a little while will lose all religion in the crowd of questions. There was a time not many years ago, when God did bless our ministry in the city, to the conversion of many people unto God ; but now there are many that study more to gain parties to themselves, than to gain souls to God. The great work of conversion is little thought on, and never so few, if any at all, converted as in these days wherein we talk so much of reformation. And is this to keep covenant with God? 3. We swear "to endeavour to amend our lives, and reform not only ourselves, but also those that are under our charge.'^ But where is that family reformation? Indeed I read of Jacob that when he went to perform his vow and covenant, he first reformed his family. And that Joshua resolved, and performed it, "for himself and his family to serve the Lord." And so did Josiah. And oh ! that I could add. And so do we. But the wickedness committed in our families proclaims the contrary to all the world. What noblemen, what aldermen, what merchants, families, are more reformed since the covenant than before ? We speak and contend much for a church-reformation, but how can there be a church-reformation, unless there be a family- reformation ? What though the church-worship be pure, yet if the worshippers be impure, God will not accept of the worship ? And if families be not reformed, how will your worshippers be pure ? SERMON AT LONDON. 337 4. We swear to endeavour " to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest uniformity in rehgion confession of faith, form of church government, directory for worship, and catechising." But are there not some that write against an uniformity in religion, and call it an idol ? Are there not many that walk professedly contrary to this clause of the covenant? There are three texts of scripture that people keep quite the contrary way. The first is^ " Take no thought what ye shall eat ; take no thought for to-morrow." And most people take thought for nothing else. The second is, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness ;" and most people seek this last of all. The third text is, " Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meat that endureth for ever ;" and most people labour not for the meat that endureth for ever, but for the meat that perisheth. As these three texts are kept, so do many people keep this part of the oath ; for there were never more divisions and differences in the church, never more deformity, and pleading against uniformity, than now there is. 5. We swear "to endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy, superstition, heresy, and schism." And yet, not- withstanding, there are some that have taken the oath that contend earnestly for a toleration of all religions. 6. We swear " against a detestable indifferency and neutrality in this cause, which so much concerneth the glory of God.'* And yet how many are there amongst us like unto Gallio, that care not what becomes of the cause of God, so they may have peace and quiet ? That will not be the backwardest of all, and yet will be sure not to be too forward ; for fear lest, if the times turn, they should be noted amongst the chief of the faction ? That are very indifferent which side prevail, so they may have their trading again? That say as the politicians say, That they would be careful not to come too near the heels of religion, lest it should dash out their brains : 338 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. and as the king of Arragon told Beza, That he would wade no further into the sea of religion, than he could safely return to shore. In all these six particulars, let us seriously search and try our hearts, whether we be not among the number of those that make the times perilous. The third use is for humiliation. Let the consideration of our covenant-breaking be a heart-breaking consideration to every one of us this day : let this be a mighty and powerful argument to humble us upon this day of humiliation. There are five considerations that are exceedingly soul-humbling, if God bless them to us. I . The consideration of the many commandments of God, that we have often and often broken. 2. The consideration of the breaking of Jesus Christ for our sins, how He was rent and torn for our iniquities. 3. The consideration of the breaking of the bread, and pouring out of the wine in the sacrament, which is a heart-breaking motive and help. 4. The broken condition that the kingdoms of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Germany, are in at this time. 5. The many vows and covenants that we have broken ; our sacrament-covenants, our fasting-covenants, our sick-bed covenants ; and especially the consideration of our often breaking our national covenant, which you come this day to renew. This is a sin in folio, a sin of a high nature : and if ever God awaken our conscience in this life, a sin that will lie like a heavy vicubus upon it. A greater sin than to sin against a commandment, or against an ordinance. A sin not only of disobedience, but of perjury ; a sin of injustice, of spiritual adultery, a sin of sacrilege, a sin of great unkindness, a sin that not only makes us disobedient, but dishonest ; for we account him a dishonest man, that keeps not his word. A sin that not only every good Christian, but every good heathen doth abhor ; a sin that not only brings damnation upon us, but casteth such an horrible disgrace and reproach upon God, that it cannot stand with God's honour not to be SERMON AT LONDON. 339 avenged of a covenant-breaker. Tertullian saith, " That when a Christian forsakes his covenant, and the colours of Christ, and turns to serve as the devil's soldier, he puts an unspeakable discredit upon God and Christ." For it is as much as if he should say, " I like the service of the devil better than the service of God." And it is just as if a soldier that hath waged war under a captain, and afterwards forsakes him, and turns to another ; and after that, leaves this other captain, and turns to his former captain. This is to prefer the first captain before the second. This makes God complain, " What iniquity have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me ? " And, " Hath any nation changed their god, which yet are no gods ? But My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit." Basil brings in the devil insulting over Christ, and saying, " I never created nor redeemed these men, and yet they have obeyed me and contemned Thee, O Christ, even after they have covenanted to be Thine." And then he adds, " I esteem this honouring of the devil over Jesus Christ at the great day, to be more grievous to a true saint than all the torments in hell." A saying worthy to be written in letters of gold. Seeing then that covenant-breaking is so great an abomination, the Lord give us hearts to be humbled for this great abomination this day. And this will be a notable preparation to fit you for the renewing of your covenant. For we read, that Nehemiah first called his people to fast before he drew them unto a covenant: accord- ing to which pattern, you are here met to pray and humble your souls for your former covenant-breaking ; and then to bind yourselves anew unto the Lord our God. As wax, when it is melted, will receive the impression of a seal, which it will not do before : so will your hearts, when melted into godly sorrow for our sins, receive the seal of God abidingly upon them which they will not do when hardened in sin. 340 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Is every man that sins against the covenant to be accounted a covenant-breaker, and a perjured sacrilegious person ? By no means. For, as every failing of a wife doth not break covenant between her and her husband, but she is to be accounted a wife, till she, by committing adultery,, break the covenant : so, every miscarriage against the cove- nant of grace, or against this national covenant doth not denominate us, in a gospel account, covenant- breakers : but then God accounts us, according to His gospel, to break covenant when we do not only sin, but commit sin against the covenant ; when w^e do not only sin out of weakness, but out of wickedness ; when we do not only fail, but fall into sin ; when we forsake and renounce the covenant ; w^hen we deal treacherously in the covenant, and enter into league and covenant with those sins which we have sworn against ; when we walk into anti-covenant paths, and willingly do- contrary to what we swear ; then are we perjured, and unjust, and sacrilegious, and guilty of all those things formerly mentioned. The fourth use presents unto you a divine, and therefore a sure project to make the times happy ; and that is, let all covenant-takers labour to be covenant-keepers. It hath pleased God, to put it in your hearts to renew your covenant, the same God enabled you to keep covenant. It is said, "The king made a covenant before the Lord. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord. And all the people stood to the covenant." This is your duty, not only to take the covenant, but to stand to the covenant ; and to stand to it maugre all opposition to the contrary, as we read, " And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers. That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman." For it is not the taking,. SERMON AT LONDON. 34I but the keeping of the covenant, that will make you happy. God is styled, "A God keeping covenant." O that this might be the honour of this city ! That we may say of it, London is a city keeping covenant with God. Great and many are the blessings entailed upon covenant-keepers. *' Now, therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me, above all people : for all the earth is Mine ; and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." " All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant." There are three covenants, I shall persuade you in a special manner to stand to. 1. The covenant you made with God in baptism. A Christian (saith Chrysostom) should never step out of doors, or lie down in his bed, or go into his closet, but he should remember the time when he did renounce the devil and all his works. Oh, let us not forget that which we ought always to remember ! Let us remember to keep that covenant, as we ever desire God should remember us in mercy at the great day. 2. The covenant we make with God in our afflictions. Famous is that passage of Pliny in one of his epistles, to one that desired rules from him how to order his life aright ; I will (saith he) give you one rule, which shall be instead of a thousand : That we should persevere to be such, when we are well, as we promise to be when we are sick. A sentence never to be forgotten : the Lord help us to live accordingly. 3. The covenant which you are to take this day. The happiness or misery of England doth much depend upon the keeping or breaking of this covenant. If England keep it, England by keeping covenant shall stand sure. If England break it, God will break England in pieces. If England slight it, God will slight England. If England forsake it, God will forsake England, and this shall be written upon the tomb of perishing England, " Here lieth 342 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. a nation that hath broken the covenant of their God." Remember what you have heard this day, that it is the brand of a reprobate to be a covenant-breaker, and it is the part of a fool to vow and not to pay his vows. And God hath no delight in the sacrifice of fools. " Better not to vow, than to vow and not to pay." It is such a high profanation of God's name, as that God cannot hold a covenant-breaker guiltless ; it is perjury, injustice, spiritual adultery, sacrilege. And the very lifting up of our hands this day, (if you do not set heart and hand on w^ork to keep covenant) will be a sufficient witness against you at the great day. We read "that Jacob and Laban entered in covenant, and took a heap of stones, and they called the place Mizpah, the Lord watch between me and thee," and made them a witness, and said " this heap is a witness." " The God of Abraham judge betwixt us." Such is your condition this day. You enter into covenant to become the Lord's, and to be valiant for His truth, and against His enemies, and the very stones of this church shall be witness against you, if you break covenant; the name of this place may be called Mizpah. The Lord will watch over you for good, if you keep it, and for evil if you break it ; and all the curses contained in the book of the covenant shall light upon a willing covenant- breaker. The Lord fasten these meditations and soul- awakening considerations upon your hearts. The Lord give you grace to keep close to the covenant and a good con- science, which are both lost by breaking covenant. There are four things I shall persuade you unto in pursuance of your covenant, i. To be humbled for your own sins, and for the sins of the kingdom ; and more especially, because we have not, as we ought, valued the inestimable benefit of the gospel, that we have not laboured to receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of Him in our lives, which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us. Gospel sins SERMON AT LONDON. 343 are greater than legal sins, and will bring gospel curses, which are greater than legal curses. And therefore let us be humbled according to our covenant, for all our gospel abominations. 2. You must be ambitious to go before one another in an example of real reformation. You must swear vainly no more, be drunk no more, break the Sabbath no more. You must remember what David says. " But unto the wicked God saith. What hast thou to do to take My covenant in thy mouth ? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee." To sin willingly, after we have sworn not to sin, is not only to sin against a commandment, but to sin against an oath, which is a double iniquity, and will procure a double damnation. And he that takes a covenant to reform, and yet continueth unreformed, his covenant will be unto him as the bitter water of jealousy was to the woman guilty of adultery, which made her belly to swell, and thigh to rot. 3. You must be careful to reform your families, according to your covenant, and the example of Jacob and Joshua, and the godly kings fore-mentioned. 4. You must endeavour, according to your places and callings, to bring the churches of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction, and uniformity in religion. O blessed unity ! how comes it to pass, that thou art so much slighted and contemned ? Was not unity one of the chief parts of Christ's prayer unto His Father, when He was here upon the earth ? Is not unity amongst Christians one of the strongest arguments to persuade the world to believe in Christ ? Is it not the chief desire of the holy apostles, that we " should all speak the same things, and that there should be no division amongst us ? " Is not unity the happiness of heaven ? Is it not the happiness of a city, to be at unity with itself? "Is it not a good and pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity ? " How comes it to pass then that this part of the covenant is so much forgotten ? The Lord mind you of it this day ; and the 344 I'HE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. Lord make this great and famous city, a city of holiness, and a city of unity within itself : for if unity be destroyed, purity will quickly also be destroyed. The church of God is Una, as well as Sancta ; it is but one church, as well as it is a holy church. And " Jesus Christ gave some to be apostles, etc. till we all come to the unity of the faith." The government of Christ is appointed for keeping the church in unity, as well as purity. These things which God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. That government which doth not promote unity as well as purity, is not the government of Christ. Oh, the misery of the kingdom where church divisions are nourished and fomented f A kingdom or church against itself, cannot stand. Would it not be a sad thing, to see twelve in a family, and one of them a Presbyterian, another an Independent, another a Brownist, another an Antimonian, another an Anabaptist, another a Familist, another for Prelatical government, another a Seeker, another a Papist, and the tenth, it may be, an Atheist, and the eleventh a Jew, and the twelfth a Turk ? The Lord in His due time heal our divisions, and make you His choice of instruments, accord- ing to your places, that the Lord may be one, and His name one in the three kingdoms. Quest. But some will say, " How shall I do to get up my heart to this high pitch, that I may be a covenant-keeper?" I will propound these three helps, i. Labour to be always mindful of your covenant, according to that text, " God is always mindful of His covenant." It was the great sin of the people of Israel, that they were unmindful of the covenant. They first forgot the covenant, and afterwards did quickly forsake it. He that forgets the covenant, must needs be a covenant-breaker. Let us therefore remember it, and carry it about us as quotidianutJi argmfie'itum, and quotidianum munimefituin. i. Let us make the covenant a daily argument against all sin and iniquity ; and when we SERMON AT LONDON. 345 are tempted to any sin, let us say, " I have sworn to forsake my old iniquity, and, if I commit this sin, I am not only a commandment-breaker, but an oath-breaker. I am perjured. I have sworn to reform my family, and therefore I will not suffer a wicked person to tarry in my family ; I have sworn against neutrality and indifferency, and therefore I will be zealous in God's cause." 2. Let us make this covenant a daily muniment and armour of defence, to beat back all the fiery darts of the devil: when any one tempts thee by promise of preferment to do contrary to thy covenant, or threatens to ruin thee for the hearty pursuing of thy cove- nant, here is a ready answer, " I am sworn to do what I do, and, if I do otherwise, I am a perjured wretch." This is a wall of brass, to resist any dart that shall be shot against thee for well-doing, according to thy covenant. Famous is the story of Hannibal, which he told king Antiochus, when he required aid of him against the Romans, '• When I was nine years old (saith he) my father carried me to the altar, and made me take an oath to be an irreconcilable foe to the Romans. In pursuance of this oath, I have waged war against them thirty - six years. To keep this oath, I have left my country, and am come to seek aid at your hands, which, if you deny, I will travel all over the world, to find out some enemies to the Roman state." If an oath did so mightily operate in Hannibal; let the oath you are to take this day work as powerfully upon you; and make your oath an argument to oppose personal-sins and family sins, and to oppose heresy, schism, and all profaneness ; and to endeavour to bring the church of God in the three kingdoms to the nearest con- junction and uniformity. And let this oath be armour- proof against all temptations to the contrary. And know this one thing, that if the covenant be not a daily argument and muniment against sin, it will become, upon your breaking of it, a daily witness against you, as the book of the law was. 34 6 THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT. and an "everlasting shame and reproach " unto you and yours. 2. Let us have high thoughts of the covenant. Actions and affections follow our apprehensions. If thy judgment be belepered with a corrupt opinion about the covenant, thy affections and actions will quickly be belepered also : and therefore you ought to endeavour, according to your places, that nothing be spoken or written that may tend to the prejudice of the covenant. 3. You must take heed of the cursed sin of self-love, which is placed in the forefront, as the cause of all the catalogue of sins here named ; " Because men are lovers of themselves, therefore they are covetous," etc., and therefore they are covenant- breakers. A self-seeker cannot but be a covenant-breaker : this is a sin you must hate as the very gates of hell. And this is the second sin I promised in the beginning of my sermon to speak on : but the time, and your other occasions will not permit. There is a natural self-love, and a divine self-love, and a sinful self-love. This sinful self- love is, when we make ourselves the last end of all our actions, when we so love ourselves, as to love no man but ourselves, according to the proverb, " Every man for him- self." When we pretend God and His glory, and the common good, but intend ourselves, and our own private gain and interest ; when we serve God upon politic designs. Where this sinful self-love dwells, there dwells no love to God, no love to thy brother, no love to church or state. This sinful self-love is the caterpillar that destroyeth church and commonw^ealth. It is from this sinful self-love that the public affairs drive on so heavily, and that church- government is not settled, and that our covenant is so much neglected. Of this sin, I cannot now speak ; but, when God shall offer opportunity, I shall endeavour to uncase it you. In the meantime, the Lord give you grace to hate it as hell itself. THE NATIONAL COVENANTS. Facsimile of old Title page of folloiuifig Ceremony. THE FORM and ORDER OF THE CORONATION OF CHARLES IL Ring of SCOTLARD, ENG^ LAND, FRANCE and IR& LAND. As it was afted and done at 'SCOON^ the Fir ft Day of January^ 1651. By the Reverend Mr. RoBELRr Douglas, Miniiler at Edinburgh ^ and one of the Mera* bers of the Wejitnwjler Alfembly of Z);w^^j, 5 Chron. aocix. 23. Then Solomon faJ