Act 24, Parl. 11; Act 123, Parl. 12; Act 194 and 197, Parl. 14, of King

THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION

OF THE

NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT;

WITH THE

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES,

AS THEY WERE

RENEWED AT AUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS,

JULY 24, 1712.

(COMPARED WITH THE EDITIONS OF PAISLEY, 1820, AND BELFAST, 1835.)

ALSO,

THE RENOVATION

OF THESE

PUBLIC FEDERAL DEEDS

ORDAINED AT PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER 8, 1880,

BY THE

REFORMED PRESBYTERY,

WITH ACCOMMODATION OF THE ORIGINAL COVENANTS, IN BOTH TRANSACTIONS,

TO THEIR TIMES AND POSITIONS RESPECTIVELY.

* * * * *

PHILADELPHIA 1880.

* * * * *

PREFACE.

The Reformed Presbytery, at a meeting in Philadelphia, October 6th 1880,

"_Resolved_, That another edition of the Auchensaugh Deed be published,"

and appointed the undersigned a committee "to attend to this business

with all convenient speed."

This Presbytery, after forty years' experience, during which

opportunities have been afforded for examining the opinions and

practices of all parties, professing any regard for the Covenanted

Reformation, is still deeply impressed with the conviction that the

transaction at Auchensaugh 1712, is the only faithful renovation of our

Covenants, National and Solemn League. The fidelity of our fathers in

that hazardous and heroic transaction, it is believed, has ever since

been the _occasion_ (not the _cause_) of all opponents manifesting their

hostility to the whole covenanted cause, by first assaults upon that

detested Bond. And that this is the real state of the case we proceed to

prove by the following historical facts. _First._--In connection with

remodeling the Testimony; or rather by supplanting it in 1806, the Terms

of Communion, without submitting an overture, were also changed to

harmonize with _Reformation Principles Exhibited_, by excluding the

Auchensaugh Renovation from the fourth Term, where it had stood for

nearly a century. The same party have for years excluded from their

abstract of Terms the _Covenants themselves_. _Second._--In Scotland

this faithful document was expunged in 1822, obviously to prepare the

way for the adoption of a _"New Testimony"(!)_, which appeared 1837-9.

The majority of the actors in that work who survive, are now in the Free

Church! _Third._--At the time when defection was progressing in the R.P.

Synod of Scotland, the sister Synod of Ireland strenuously resisted an

attempt to remove the foresaid Bond from its place in the Terms. The

Rev. Messrs. Dick, Smith and Houston in 1837, were faithful and

successful for the time in resisting that attempt. Mr. Houston "_would

ever resist any alteration_ in respect of the Auchensaugh Bond,

regarding the objection laid against it as in reality aimed at the

Covenants themselves." Yet as a sequel to their Renovation of the

Covenants at Dervock 1853, the Auchensaugh Bond was subsequently "shown

to the porch"--removed from the Terms! _Fourth._--At what was called

covenant-renovation at Pittsburgh 1871, we believe no one spoke in

behalf of their fathers' noble achievement in 1712. Indeed this could

not be rationally expected in a body who could tolerate members

vilifying the very Covenants which they pretended to renew.

_Fifth._--Other parties farther removed from the position of their

reforming progenitors; but who still claim ecclesiastical affinity with

John Knox, and commonly prefix to the symbols of their faith the

historical word _Westminster_, give very strong expression to their

feelings of hostility--not to the Auchensaugh Bond, of which probably

they never heard, but to the British Covenants expressly; yea, to the

very ordinance of public social covenanting itself. But we shall let

them speak for themselves. One Doctor of divinity is reported as

saying--"I am opposed to the whole matter of covenanting. Covenants do

an immense sight more harm than good. Those Scotch Covenanters brought

persecution upon themselves by their covenants."[1]

Another Dr. said, "I have always been opposed to covenanting. One

generation of God's people have no right to enter into bonds that entail

obligations upon future generations."[2] A third Dr. said, "I hold it is

a sin for men to go into the august presence of God and enter into

covenant with him. It is base presumption."[3] A fourth Dr. said, "I

hold that the church as an organization is not a responsible moral

agent. Neither is the nation!" These sentiments may well excite

astonishment and alarm, when proclaimed by accredited teachers of

morality and religion. _Sixth._--Seceders have all along their history

claimed to be the sole heirs of the Scottish covenanted inheritance.

They are not ignorant of the Auchensaugh Renovation. How they view that

transaction may be best ascertained from their own language. The

_Original Secession Magazine_ for November 1880, p. 861, speaks thus,

"The distinction drawn between 'Covenanters' and 'Seceders,' we have

shown to be groundless. Are Reformed Presbyterians covenanters at all?

There is not an _actual_ Covenanter among them. They renewed the

Covenants after a fashion in 1712. In our view the Covenants were not

renewed, they were only mangled," &c. These sentiments are sufficiently

strong and explicit to be intelligible. The writer's feelings evidently

interfered with judicial discrimination, while openly expressing that

hostility to the Auchensaugh Bond which is concealed by others. The Rev.

John McMillan, whom the Lord honored to take the lead at Auchensaugh, is

especially branded by this writer who asserts,--"he did not secede and

retire, he was expelled; nor was the position of his early associates in

the ministry of the purest water." Moreover, this writer asserts "that

they (Seceders) have actually renewed the Covenants, from time to time,

during the whole period of their existence." How could this be, since

Seceders have all along rejected "the civil part of the Covenants?" But

these documents bear on their face a direct aim at personal, domestic,

ecclesiastical, and civil reformation. No party can intelligently and

honestly renew the National Covenant and Solemn League, while eulogizing

the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688, while in allegiance to the British

throne--that "bloody horn of the beast;" or whose political principles

will identify them with any other horn which may have power to scatter

"Judah." Zech. i: 21.

We have thus attempted by an induction of particulars, as concisely as

we could, to point out existing opposition to our Covenanted

Reformation, by various parties who assail the British Covenants

directly, or by a first assault upon the Auchensaugh Bond, would reach a

fatal stroke at the Covenants themselves. We believe with our

predecessors that those who reject the Auchensaugh Renovation, by

logical necessity will relinquish the Covenants themselves.

The reader may be assured that neither we nor the Reformed Presbytery,

whose committee we are, claim Papal infallibility or Christian

perfection; nor do we ask implicit faith in any uninspired documents.

But we sincerely believe ourselves that the Auchensaugh Renovation and

the Bond, to which the foregoing statements are prefixed, will be found

on examination to be sound, faithful, and "in nothing contrary to the

word of God."

DAVID STEELE,

ROBERT ALEXANDER,

JOHN CLYDE.

_Committee_

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: This gentleman does not seem to know that infidels use

similar argument against Christianity. Or, did he never read--"I came

not to send peace on the earth, but a sword." His logic also is as

faulty as his theology--_non causa pro causa_.]

[Footnote 2: On what principle does this minister dispense the ordinance

of baptism to subjects in their minority? Is baptism a mere ceremony,

involving no obligation upon the children of believers? Gen. xvii: 14.]

[Footnote 3: No _presumption_, when graciously invited to do so. Is.

lvi: 4, 6, 11. This teaching tends to the subversion of social

order--the moral order of the universe. 2 Pet. ii: 10.]

* * * * *

THE AUCHENSAUGH RENOVATION.

THE NATIONAL COVENANT AND SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT, WITH THE

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF SINS AND ENGAGEMENT TO DUTIES: AS THEY WERE RENEWED AT

AUCHENSAUGH, NEAR DOUGLAS, 24th JULY, 1712, WITH ACCOMMODATION TO THE

(THEN) PRESENT TIMES.

PSALM lxxvi: 11. Vow and pay unto the Lord your God.

ISAIAH xxiv: 5. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof:

because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken

the everlasting covenant.

EZEK. xvii: 18. Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant

(when, lo, he had given his hand), and hath done all these _things_, he

shall not escape.

2 TIM. iii: 3. Truce-breakers--or Covenant-breakers.

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION.

It is the ineffable product of eternal love, and infinite condescension

in God toward his rational creatures, that ever he was pleased to make a

covenant with them, and not to command and require obedience to his holy

and just will, by virtue of his most absolute supremacy and rightful

dominion only; but even to superadd sweet and precious promises, as a

reward of that obedience, which he might of right have required, without

giving any such incitements or pursuasives to it. And as no tongue of

men or angels is sufficient to express, no strength of imagination to

conceive, no sublimity of intellectual faculties to comprehend the depth

of that spring, and breadth of that ocean of unbounded love, which hath

exerted itself in God's covenanting with man; yea, with sinful man, by

means of a Mediator: so shall it always afford matter of wonder and

admiration to all finite and intelligent beings, to the ages of

eternity, and shall never be comprehended by any, but by him whose

understanding is infinite; wherefore He, who is all-sufficient and

self-sufficient, should invite, yea, press and entreat unworthy indigent

nothings, the sinful children of men to such an incomparable degree of

honor, dignity and advancement, as that is, to enter into a covenant

relation, and come into a solemn treaty of peace and conjunction with

Him, who is infinitely removed beyond all blessing and all praise. To

have this invitation, is indeed the honor and privilege of all within

the visible church, to whose ears the joyful sound of the glorious

gospel of Jesus Christ hath come; but few are so wise as to accept and

approve it. Many, too many, account themselves unworthy of this honor,

and by despising this privilege, and rejecting this dignity, deprive

themselves of the greatest happiness; but as all nations, upon whom the

day-star of the gospel hath arisen, have had the invitation to this

duty, and all sound and real believers have actually participated of

this honor, to have God making a covenant with them, and they striking

hands with Him through a Mediator (which covenant is commonly termed the

_Covenant of Grace_,) so these three kingdoms of Scotland, England and

Ireland conjunctly, and Scotland by itself, as an independent nation,

had in an eminent way and manner the honor, above most nations in the

world, to dedicate and surrender themselves to the Lord, by a most

voluntary, free and deliberate choice, and to come under the bond of a

most solemn oath, in a most religious manner, devoting their all to

Christ, his interest and honor, the flourishing and thriving of his

kingdom, the success of his gospel, and reformation of his churches; and

openly avouching him for their Lord and Master, to the honor of his

name, and confusion of his enemies; which _Covenants National_ and

_Solemn League_, though we look not upon them to be the same with the

covenant of grace, yet we conceive of them as a solemn superadded and

new obligation, tying us to all the duties, as well of a particular

Christian conversation, as these which tend to the public and national

advancement of reformation in religion, whereof the covenant of grace is

the spring and foundation.

These covenants, as they were the effects and consequents of many

remarkable and signal expressions of divine love and goodness, many

singular mercies and deliverances vouchsafed to these nations, as the

return of many earnest prayers and wrestlings of the Lord's people with

him; so they were the occasions of many blessings, and great indications

of God's favor and loving-kindness. Then the Lord delighted to dwell in

the nations; then did he beautify the place of his sanctuary; then did

he fill his people's hearts with joy and gladness, by the familiar

intimations of his special love and down pourings of his Spirit's

gracious influences, as our land can afford many instances. Then did he

enlarge his people's affections, and animate their spirits with zeal and

courage, attended with knowledge, prudence and discretion to act for

him, and advance his kingdom. Then did he illustrate his churches in

these kingdoms, as bright and sparkling stars arising out of the thick

clouds of antichristian darkness, and getting out from under Prelatic

and Erastian yokes of bondage and slavery, and made them go forth as the

meridian sun glorious and excellent; _terrible as an army with banners_.

Hence it came to pass that these nations sent out a savory report to all

the neighboring reformed churches, a report which comforted, revived,

strengthened, animated and encouraged all the true and loyal subjects of

Christ's kingdom; which struck terror and amazement to the hearts of his

enemies; which shook and caused to tremble the pillars of Antichrist's

kingdom, and disquieted the very foundations of the _seat of that

beast_; which made malignants at home and abroad to be ashamed and

confounded, and even forced the haters of the Lord to _feign submission

to him_. Numberless were the advantages and privileges which did redound

to these nations by, and were the lovely attendants and sweet

consequents of, these covenants; whereby God did set to his seal of

approbation, and gave clear evidence and demonstration of his acceptance

of his people's cheerful and willing adventures in this duty of

covenanting with him: and as these blessings and mercies, which, as the

dew of Hermon, were distilled upon his people's heads and hearts, while

they abode steadfast with him, and faithful in his covenant were so many

irrefragable proofs of his acquiescence in their first and laudable

undertakings; so the many sad and fearful plagues, distractions,

confusions and miseries, which have attended and followed the many gross

breaches and violations of these covenants and departures from God, are

no less evident discoveries, undeniable signs and pregnant convictions

of the Lord's most just displeasure and indignation with the bypast and

present courses of revolting and backsliding from him; which courses of

declension and grievous apostatizing from God and his covenant, all the

three kingdoms and in special this nation, and every individual therein

capable of such a work, are, without all controversy, called to bewail

and confess before God, and by speedy amendment to turn from them, in

order to avert judgments, and turn away justly impendent wrath and long

threatened strokes.

The consideration of these blessings and benefits, on the one hand,

which followed the zealous entering into, and sincere performing of

these sacred oaths; and upon the other hand the sense we desire to

retain of the plagues and curses, threatened by God in his word against

covenant-breaking inflicted upon covenant-breakers in former ages, and

foreign nations, and visibly impending upon us in these nations, for our

perfidious dealing in God's covenant; hath moved us a _poor

insignificant handful of people_, unworthy indeed to be called the

posterity of our zealous reforming ancestors, though heartily desirous

to be found adhering to the same standard of doctrine, worship,

discipline and government to which they adhered, to attempt this solemn

and weighty duty of renewing (in our capacities and stations) these

covenant obligations, that we might at least give some discovery of our

respect to the cause of God, for the advancement and preservation

whereof these covenants were first entered into, and afterwards again

and again renewed by our religious progenitors, and by the whole

representative body of the three kingdoms, who had any zeal for the

interest of religion. And that we might, for our parts, be in some

measure instrumental to transmit a testimony for the work of God in our

land to the succeeding generation. Neither do we want, besides these

general motives, some special inducements to this undertaking. As 1.

Because these national covenants, having been nationally broken, and

their funeral piles erected by wicked and perfidious rulers in the

capital cities of the kingdom, with all imaginable ignominy and

contempt, have long lien buried and (almost) quite forgotten under these

ashes; most people either hating the very name and remembrance of them,

or at least being ashamed honorably to avouch their adherence to them,

and afraid to endeavor a vigorous and constant prosecution of the duties

contained in them: So that it is high time that every one should do his

utmost towards a reviving of them. 2. Because many openly declare their

sorrow and grief that ever these covenants should have been entered

into: malignants calling them a conspiracy, attributing every

miscarriage of the persons engaged in them to the covenants themselves

as their native effects; and others, who would take it ill to be called

malignants, making them the causes of all the tyranny, rapine, bloodshed

and persecution of the late reigns, as having raised the spleen of the

enemies of religion, and accounting it safer that they should lie still

in their graves, than that they should irritate malignants any more by

their resurrection.[4] Therefore we judge it our duty to renew them,

that we might evidence, that notwithstanding all these malicious

calumnies and false consequences cast upon them, we are still of the

same judgment with our reformers, that they are the most sovereign

means, under the blessing of God, for the reviving and preserving the

work of God in the land. 3. Because of the courses that are carried on

in direct opposition to these covenants; the nations, formerly cemented

in peace and love in conjunction with truth and righteousness, having

broken these bonds, and united themselves upon another footing, by the

late sinful incorporating union: and imposing new oaths in opposition to

the covenant; such as abjuration, &c. granting license, protection and

toleration to all the evils abjured in the covenant; as heresies and

errors in doctrine, superstition in worship, Prelacy and Erastianism in

government, and overthrowing all good discipline. 4. Because of our own

sinful miscarriages in, and woful declinings from our covenanted duties,

our proneness to break covenant with God, and to be indifferent, lax,

negligent and unsteadfast in the cause and work of God, and to be led

away with the error of the wicked, and to fall from our steadfastness;

wherefore we thought it necessary to bind ourselves by a new tie to the

Lord, and one to another in a zealous prosecution of covenanted duties,

that the covenant might be as a hedge to keep us from running out into

the paths of destroyers. 5. We being sincerely desirous and having an

earnest longing to celebrate the sacred ordinance of the Lord's Supper,

whereof many had unjustly called us despisers and contemners, and

finding it to have been the laudable practice of the church of Scotland

formerly, that all such as were admitted to that holy table should swear

and subscribe the covenant before their coming thereunto; we judged it a

fit preparation for our receiving a sacramental confirmation of God's

covenanted love and favor to us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that we

should avouch Him for our God, and testify our adherence to His cause

and truth, by our renewing our national covenants with Him.

Upon these and the like weighty considerations we resolved to set about

this solemn and tremendous duty; and being assured that we have no

sufficiency in ourselves for any such undertaking, after frequently

imploring the Lord for light and direction, strength and assistance, and

seeking for ourselves a right way in the performance of the duty, upon

days of humiliation, both in our private societies and publicly in the

fields, we did condescend upon the following _acknowledgment of sins_,

the more to enable us to remember our own and the land's breaches of

covenant, in our solemn public confession thereof; and did draw up the

following _engagement to duties_, not to superadd any new oath and

obligation to the covenants, but only to adjust the articles of the

covenant to the circumstances of the time, and to explain in what sense

the covenant binds us against the present evils that are now prevalent

in the land, and to the contrary duties. As for the covenants

themselves, we made no material alteration in them, as judging it a work

more proper for an assembly of divines, or representative body of church

and state (had they been upright and faithful in this cause) than for

us, who, as we are called by others in contempt, must own ourselves in

truth to be, _but a handful of weak and most illiterate people_, and but

as babes in comparison of the first framers of our covenants; only that

we might make them in some measure accomodable to the present lamentable

circumstances, whereinto we are involved by our iniquities, we have

annotated some few necessary alterations upon the margin, wherein the

judicious will find that we have in nothing receded from the scope and

substance of the covenant, but only in the phrase; for instance, where

the covenant binds to _the defence and preservation of the king's

majesty and government_, in regard we have no king nor supreme civil

magistrate so qualified, as God's law and the laudable laws of this

realm require, to whom we might, for conscience sake, subject ourselves,

in a consistency with our defending the true reformed religion in all

its parts and privileges: Therefore, we can only bind ourselves to

_defend and preserve the honor, authority and majesty of lawful

sovereigns, or supreme magistrates, having the qualifications aforesaid,

when God shall be pleased to grant them to us_. Where no judicious

person will say that there is any substantial alteration as to the

_matter of the duty_, but only as to the object to whom the duty is to

be performed; there being none such in being as can justly claim, or to

whom we may with a good conscience pay such an allegiance.

Having mutually agreed concerning these prerequisites to this sacred

action, that the same might be orderly gone about, and might not be

performed in a clandestine way, so as to preclude any upright-hearted

friends to the covenanted reformation from joining with us in that so

necessary a duty, there was public intimation made of the design a

competent space of time before, upon a day of humiliation, and likewise

upon the Lord's day immediately preceding the work.

As for the particular way and manner, method and circumstances of the

work, we had not given any narrative of them; but that some, who came

with an evil eye, to spy out our liberty, for criticizing, not for

joining or profiting, have in part misrepresented the same, and may

further do so; therefore, to obviate all such misreports, we have

thought fit to make this brief relation thereof.

Upon Wednesday, July 23d, those who had the work in design being met

together, the minister began the day's work with prayer for special

assistance to attain due preparation, and a suitable frame, throughout

the whole solemnity: and thereafter had a prefatory discourse to the

people, showing the nature of the work in general, its lawfulness,

expediency, and necessity, from scripture precedents and approven

examples of the people of God, adducing the 9th chapter of Ezra, Neh.

Ezek. Dan. and Neh. x. 28, 29, for proof thereof; and of the day in

particular, that it was a day of fasting and supplication, with

preaching of the word, in order to preparation for the solemnities

intended, both of renewing the covenants and celebrating the sacrament

of the Lord's, Supper. After which a part of the lxxviii. Psalm, from

the 5th to the 12th verse being sung, Mr. John M'Neil, preacher of the

gospel, had a sermon upon Jer. 1. 4, and 5. "In those days, and in that

time, saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the

children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and seek

the Lord their God. 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." From which text he

raised and prosecuted largely, and particularly the two following

observations, as most pertinent for the work of the day; the first

implicitly supposed, the other more explicitly asserted in the words;

viz. 1. That, _a people in covenant with God may be forgetful of and

deal falsely in their covenant_; or that _covenant-takers may be

covenant-breakers_. 2. That, _it is the duty of a people who have broken

covenant with God to engage themselves again to the Lord by the

renovation of their covenant_. Where in prosecuting the former, he

showed by what gradual steps of declension a people usually come to deal

falsely in God's covenant, such as, (1.) By forgetfulness, Deut. iv. 23.

There being a connexion between forgetting and forsaking, or dealing

falsely in God's covenant, so the church intimates, Psal. xliv. 17, 18.

"All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have

we dealt falsely in thy covenant; our heart is not turned back, neither

have our steps declined from thy way." And the returning remnant of

Israel being sensible of this connexion, resolve to bind themselves to

the Lord _in a perpetual covenant that may not be forgotten_. (2.) By

seeking shifts and arguments to elude and evade the obligation of the

covenant and to defend the breaches thereof; which is after vows to make

inquiry. (3.) By despising the bond of it; Ezek. xvi. 59. "Which hast

despised the oath in breaking the covenant." (4.) By defection to the

iniquities which are sworn and engaged against in the covenant, Jer. xi.

10. "They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which

refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them;

the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant,

which I made with their fathers." (5.) By changing the government, laws,

and ordinances sworn to be maintained in the covenant; either the

government of the state, without consulting divine direction, and due

inspection into the qualification of the persons set up, Hos. viii.,

compare the 1st and 4th verses. "They have transgressed my covenant, &c.

They have set up kings, but not by me, princes and I knew it not;" that

is, without consulting me to know my will, and without my approbation

and consent; or the government of the church, without regard to the

revealed will of God. Thus, Abijah justly chargeth Jeroboam that he had

"cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites,"

and that he had "made priests after the manner of the nations of other

lands;" but encourages himself that he and Judah had the Lord for their

God, because they had not forsaken him; "and the priests which

ministered unto the Lord were the sons of Aaron." 2 Chron. xiii. 6, 10.

(6.) By an entire forsaking and disowning the obligation of the

covenant, Dan. xi. 30. "He------shall have intelligence with them that

forsake the holy covenant." (7.) By a stated opposition to the covenant,

and persecuting of these who adhere thereunto. Thus Elijah justly

charges Israel, 1 Kings xix. 10, that they had forsaken God's covenant,

because they had thrown down his altars, slain his prophets, and sought

after Elijah's life. And in a use of lamentation deduced from the

foresaid doctrine, he showed, that all ranks in the land had reason to

mourn over their breach of covenant, in regard that some of all ranks,

from the throne to the dunghill, in church and state, are, or have been

guilty of dealing falsely in God's covenant, in all and every one of

these diverse ways, and of declining from it: and in regard that there

has been so much ignominy and contempt cast upon these sacred covenants,

not only by breaking them openly, but also avowedly disowning and

disdaining their obligation, and making the adherence to them criminal;

and, which is above all, burning them by the hand of the hangman, and

burying them so long in forgetfulness. This guiltiness he applied not to

great persons only, but also to professors, to ministers, and

particularly to ourselves, who are called dissenters from the present

establishment; pressing upon us no less than others, the absolute and

indispensable necessity of being convinced of, and mourning over these,

not as the sins of others only, but also as our own--we having a chief

hand in the trespass; pressing upon all present concerned in the work

the duty of self-examination, and putting themselves to the trial,

concerning their knowledge of the covenant obligations, both as to their

nature and extent, as well as their sense of the breaches of these

obligations.

In the second head of doctrine, viz., _That it is the duty of a people

who have broken covenant with God, to engage themselves again to him by

renovation of their covenant_; after proving the proposition by several

heads of arguments deduced--1st, From the lawfulness of entering into

covenant with God, whether personal, as Jacob, Gen. xxviii. 20, 21, or

economical, as Joshua and his family, Josh. xxiv. 15, or national, as

God brought his people Israel under a covenant with himself, Exod. xix

5. The consequence holding undeniably, that if it be lawful and

necessary, in any of these respects, to enter into covenant with God, it

must needs be also lawful and a duty to renew the same after the breach

thereof. 2dly, From Scripture precedents of the people of God, who,

after breaking off and declining from God's covenant, renewed the same.

As for instance, the covenant made with Israel at Horeb, was renewed at

the plains of Moab, Deut. xxxix;--by Joshua, chap, xxiv.;--by Asa, 2

Chron. xv. 13, 14;--by Jehoiada, 2 Kings xi. 17;--by Hezekiah, 2 Chron.

xxix. 10;--by Josiah, 2 Kings, xxiii. 2;--by Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra, x.

3;--Neh. ix ult. and x. 28, 29. 3dly, From Scripture precepts, Deut.

xxix. 1--"These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded

Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside

the covenant which he made with them in Horeb." Psalm, lxxvi. 11--"Vow,

and pay unto the Lord your God." 4thly, From Scripture promises, wherein

the Lord promiseth as a blessing and mercy to his church and people,

that they should renew their covenant with him, Isaiah xix. 21, 23--25;

Zech. ii. 11. For further opening of the proposition, these two

questions were proposed and solved--_First_, Whether all persons who

have broken covenant with God may be admitted to renew the same?

_Answer_, All sorts of persons in the three kingdoms are under the

obligation of the covenant, and consequently, bound to renew and keep it

inviolable; but all are not in present capacity, and therefore have no

actual right to enter into covenant: such as are obstinately wicked,

living in error, profanity, or malignancy, have not God's call and right

from him, as such, to renew a covenant with him; for, Psal. 1. 16,

17--"God says to the wicked, What hast thou to do to take my covenant in

thy mouth?" But all such as are reformed, or reforming from all

iniquity, and namely from the defections and compliances of the time;

who have some suitable sense of the breaches, and competent knowledge

and understanding of the duties engaged unto in the covenant, Neh. x.

28, have a right and an immediate call to the duty of renewing the

covenant. 2dly, If any number of people may renew a national oath and

covenant without the consent and concurrence of royal authority, or at

least, without the concurrence of some chief and principal men in church

and state? _Answer_, Without the concurrence of church and state, a

covenant cannot be taken or renewed nationally, speaking strictly; yet a

few may publicly declare their adherence to their covenant-engagements

by renewing them, not only without the consent and concurrence of

authority, but against it; and there are several precedents for so

doing, both before and since the established reformation. As for

instance, that covenant at Edinburgh, Anno 1557; at Perth, 1559; at

Stirling, the same year; another at Leith, Anno 1560; another at Ayr,

1562. And at Lanark, a small handful of the Lord's people renewed it in

direct opposition to, and at Lesmahago, without the consent or

concurrence of authority; which instances may be both an inducement and

encouragement to us to renew, and in our mean capacity, to testify to

the nation our approbation of, and adherence to these covenants.

In the prosecution of this doctrine, he had occasion also to insist upon

the _reasons_, or _motives_, and _manner_ of entering into covenant. The

scope and argument of the reasons adduced as motives to the duty of

covenanting was to this effect:--

1. The turning away of the Lord's wrath and anger from a land, or

people, which covenant-breaking hath deserved, may be a motive to

renewing covenant with God; this was the motive that prompted the good

reforming King Hezekiah to make a covenant with the Lord, 2 Chron. xxix.

10--"Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of

Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us." And Nehemiah, with

the returned captives, Neh. ix. 38--"And because of all this, we make a

sure covenant."

2. Reviving and advancement in reformation, being the ordinary

consequent and effect of upright covenanting with the Lord, may be

another motive and inducement thereunto; this appears both in personal

and national covenanting--In personal, Psal. cxix. 106--"I have sworn,

and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments." The

Psalmist's having sworn, was a very quickening consideration to excite

him to the performance of his duty. In national covenanting, we always

find, after the people of Israel and Judah had covenanted with the Lord,

they made progress in reformation, and the land was purged of

abominations and idols. Thus it was in Asa's covenant, 2 Chron. xv. 12

to 19; for there, the people have entered into a covenant with the Lord,

"and sworn with all their soul, and with all their heart," the Lord was

found of them; and Asa removed his mother, Maachah, from her royal

dignity, and stamped the idol which she had made, and burnt it at the

brook Kidron; and he brought into the house of the Lord the things that

his father and himself had dedicated. Thus it was also in Jehoiada's

covenant, which he made "between the Lord, and the king, and the people,

that they should be the Lord's people," 2 Kings xi. 17, 18, 20; for,

immediately after the making of his covenant, "all the people of the

land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down--his altars, and his

images brake they in pieces thoroughly; and the priest appointed

officers over the house of the Lord;" and they slew Athaliah with the

sword. The like is evident in Hezekiah's covenanting, 2 Chron. xxxiv.,

xxxv. chapters.

3. This upright renewing of covenant with the Lord is a way and mean to

procure many mercies, both spiritual and temporal, from the hand of the

Lord; which should be a strong inducement and motive to engage us

thereunto. Spiritual mercies are entailed upon it, Deut. xxix. 12, 13.

"That thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into

his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may

establish thee to-day for a people to himself, and that he may be unto

thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy

fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob." Temporal mercies are also

promised to this upright renewing and keeping covenant, Deut. xxix.

9--"Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may

prosper in all that ye do." And, it is remarked, 2 Chron. xv. 15, that

after Asa's covenant, "the Lord gave them rest round about."

4. The malice and opposition of the Popish, Prelatical, and malignant

party against the covenants, and their doing what in them lies, to make

their obligation void and null, may be a motive and argument for the

people of God so much the more to avouch their respect to them by a

public adherence, especially after long continued breaches.

5. Upright entering into, or renewing covenant with God, is a most

sovereign medicine for healing a people's breaches, as well as their

backslidings, the covenant being a cement, as well to join and unite the

people of God one to another, as all of them in their duty to God; and,

as it flows from the nature of the covenant to unite the friends of

reformation, so it is observable as one of the peculiar fruits of

covenant-renewing, that union in the Lord has followed thereupon: thus

it was with Israel and Judah in the text, who united together in making

a covenant with the Lord. Whence all the people of God, who are called

to be united and "perfectly joined together in the same spirit, and in

the same mind;" and especially they who have been lamentably divided one

from another, by their manifold defections from God, and from their

covenant-engagements, ought to be strongly inclined, moved, and engaged

to this duty; from this consideration, the upright covenant-renewing is

a usual mean of land-uniting and church-uniting dispositions amongst the

people of God.

As for the manner of renewing covenant with God, and how the duty ought

to be gone about, he propounded and opened it in the following

particulars, to this effect:--

1. That it must be done with understanding and judgment, both in

relation to the nature of the duties we engage to perform in the

covenant: grossly ignorant persons being justly deprived of the

privilege of engaging in covenant, though bound to inform themselves of

its nature and obligation; and also in relation to the breaches, such as

would engage into it being called to have some suitable sense and

understanding, both how it has been violated, and by what means persons

come to be guilty of the breach thereof. So, Neh. x. 28, 29--"Every one

that had knowledge and understanding entered into the covenant."

2. This duty must be gone about with sincerity and uprightness of heart;

thus Joshua, when making a covenant with the people, that they should

serve the Lord, exhorts them--"Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve

him in sincerity and truth," Joshua, xxiv., compare the 25th verse with

the 14th. The want of which qualification in covenant-renewing, causes

unsteadfastness and perfidy in covenant-performing--Psal. lxxviii. 36,

37.

3. This duty of covenant-renewing requires, as a qualification towards

the right performing of it, that there be a due consideration, and some

suitable impression of the solemnity and weightiness of the work: which

ariseth, partly from the _object_ or _party covenanted with_, the holy

and jealous God, Joshua xxiv. 19--"He is a holy God, he is a jealous

God, he will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins," and partly

from the _subject matter covenanted, or engaged to_. The articles of the

covenant of grace, which we have professedly, at last, yielded to in our

baptism, are weighty; for therein, as God engages to give us himself,

his Son Christ Jesus, and in him all temporal and eternal blessings; so

we engaged to be obedient children, and faithful subjects to him all the

days of our lives. And the articles of these national covenants are

weighty, for therein we engage to great things relating to the glory of

God, and the good of our own and other's souls. And, partly, this

weightiness ariseth from the great _danger and dreadful punishment of

breaking the covenant_; which is threatened in many places of Scripture.

The same is also intimated to us in the customs both of the Jews and

Heathens, in entering into covenant; particularly, we find that the Jews

used to cut a calf, or some other clean beast, in twain, and pass

between the parts of it--using this, or the like form of speech, as the

Jewish doctors relate--"So God divide or separate me, if I keep not this

covenant." Jer. xxxiv. 18, compared with verse 20--"I will give the men

into the hands of their enemies who have transgressed my covenant, which

they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed

between the parts thereof." Nehemiah also, chap. v. 12, 13, when he took

an oath of the priests, shook his lap and said--"So God shake out every

man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this

promise," &c. And all the covenanters said--"Amen."

4. Much tenderness and heart-melting is requisite to the right

performing of this duty. So it was with covenant-renewing Israel and

Judah, who were "weeping as they went to seek the Lord their God, and to

make a covenant never to be forgotten." This brokenness of heart, and

tender-melting frame may arise, both from the consideration of the many

sins and iniquities whereby persons have provoked the Lord their God to

anger, whence they come "to be like doves of the valley, every one

mourning for his iniquity:" and likewise from the consideration of the

grace and mercy of God, manifested in Christ Jesus, his condescension to

enter into a covenant with sinful men, and readiness, upon his people's

repentance, to pardon their former breaches; from the consideration of

this transcendently free grace, an humble and sincere covenanter will be

transported into an ecstacy of wonder and admiration; as the church is,

Mic. vii. 18, 19, 20--"Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth

iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his

heritage?" &c.

5. Dependency and recumbency upon the Lord by faith, for strength to

perform covenant engagements, is requisite to right covenanting, Isa.

xxvii. 5--"Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with

me; and he shall make peace with me." This is to "take hold of" God's

covenant, Isa. lvi. 4.

6. Affection to God and the duties whereunto we engage, is requisite to

right covenanting, and that in its flower and vigour, height and

supremacy. Thus, 2 Chron. xv. 12, 15, Asa and the people "entered into a

covenant, to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart,

and with all their soul:--And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they

had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire."

They had an affection to the work, and did it with complacency, not in

dissimulation, so as not to design to perform it: nor through

compulsion, with an eye to secular profit or preferment, as many in

these lands did.

7. It is necessary, in order to right covenanting, that the work be

gone about with a firm purpose and resolution (through grace enabling

us) to adhere to our covenant engagements, notwithstanding whatever

opposition and persecution we may meet with from the world for so doing,

and whatever difficulties and discouragements may arise from the

multitude of those, who prove unsteadfast in, or foully forsake their

covenant. We must stand to our covenant, as it is said of Josiah, 2

Chron. xxxiv. 32, that "he caused all that were present in Judah and

Benjamin, to stand to" the covenant, which implies as well a firm

resolution to perform, as consent to engage, as in the latter part of

the verse, it is remarked, that "the inhabitants of Jerusalem did

according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers;" where

_doing according to the covenant_ is exegetical of _standing to it._

David also joins the resolution of performance with swearing; Psal.

cxix. 106. "I have sworn, and I will perform, that I will keep thy

righteous judgments."

From the doctrine thus confirmed and explained, he drew this inference,

by way of information, that seeing it is a people's duty, who have

broken covenant with the Lord, to engage themselves again to him, by

renewing their covenant, that it is not arbitrary for us (as many are

apt to think) to renew, or not to renew our covenant; but that there is

a plain and positive necessity for our repenting and returning again to

the Lord, by entering anew into covenant with him, whether personal made

in baptism, or at the Lord's table, or under affliction and trouble, or

national vows and covenants entered into by ourselves or our fathers.

And in a use of lamentation, he bewailed the backwardness of these

lands, and particularly of this nation, to this duty; in that, now after

sixty years and upwards of great defections from, and grievous breaches

of our covenants by people of all ranks; yet there appears so little

sense of either the obligations or breaches of them, and of a

disposition to reviving them, even amongst those who not only profess

some love to the reformation of religion, but even some belief of their

perpetual binding obligation; and that notwithstanding, as the Prophet

Isaiah saith, concerning Judah, chap. xxiv. 5, "The earth (or the land)

is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed

the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant;" our

land having been denied with Popery and Prelacy, and with a flood of

abomination and profanity, the natural consequent of perfidy, the

ordinances having been changed, perverted and corrupted, and the

covenant not only broken, but burnt ignominiously, and the adherence to

it made criminal; yet, for all this, there has not been a time found for

renewing them these twenty-three years; and that ministers, at whose

door it chiefly lay to stir up the land to this work, have many of them

been as careless as others, waiving and putting off a stumbled and

offended people, expressing some concernedness for this duty, with these

and the like pretexts, that it was not a fit time, nor the land in a

case for it (too sad a truth), but not laboring to get the land brought

to be in a case and disposition for it, by pressing the obligation, and

plainly discovering the violations thereof; so that, instead of being

brought to a fitter condition for this duty, the covenants are almost

forgotten and quite out of mind, so that the succeeding generation is

scarce like to know that ever there was a covenant sworn in Scotland.

And more particularly, that the godly, who are dissatisfied with, and

dissent from the defections and corruptions of the times, have

discovered so little concern about the work of reformation, and cause of

God, which the covenants oblige us to own, defend, and promote. All

which laxness and remissness is for a lamentation, and ought to be

lamented and mourned over by the people of God.

In the exhortation, he pressed upon us who are embodied together to

renew our _covenant-engagements_, by giving an open and public testimony

of our adherence to the _covenants, national_ and _solemn league_, that

we should labor to attain a suitable frame, and serious consideration of

the weightiness, solemnity, and awfulness of the work we were then

undertaking: enforcing the same by several cogent motives, as namely,

because in renewing these covenants we are called to remember our

baptismal and personal vows, whereby we had renounced the devil, the

world and the flesh, and devoted ourselves to the Lord to be his people;

which if they were slighted and forgotten, there could be no right,

acceptable, and comfortable entering into _national covenants._ And

likewise because of the weightiness of the duties engaged to in our

_national covenant_, and in the _solemn league_ and _covenant_, which

he proved to be a covenant that ought to be renewed by us in this nation

no less than our _national covenant_, in regard it was a religious,

just, and holy covenant made betwixt God and the three kingdoms, though

it cannot now be taken in the same consideration and extent, as at the

first framing it was, viz.: As a league betwixt us and the

representative body of the kingdoms of England and Ireland: where he

took occasion to go over the several articles of the covenant, showing

the nature and weightiness of the duties.

Beside these two more general doctrines which were chiefly insisted

upon, he observed several others pertinently deducible from the words,

as first, _That unfaithful dealing in God's covenant will breed distance

and estrangement from God._ This is implied in the children of Israel

and Judah seeking the Lord, asking the way to Zion, &c.; their asking

the way to Zion, importing that they had forgotten the right way of

worshipping God, and that their sins had made a sad separation between

them and their God. Secondly, That it is necessary that persons become

sensible of their sin against God, and of his anger against them, and

lay these things to heart, that they may be concerned about

reconciliation with God, and reform their lives. Thirdly, That the

kindly exercise of repentance in a backsliding people lamenting after

the Lord, and setting about to renew their covenant with him, hath an

effectual influence to unite and cement the divided people of God: thus

in the text the children of Israel and Judah, whom their iniquities had

long and sadly divided, are uniting together in this desirable frame of

weeping and seeking the Lord their God, and making a perpetual covenant

with him. This doctrine he proved and applied briefly as the time would

permit, both because of its native result from the text, and because of

his own, and our sincere desire to see a holy union and communion, in

the way of truth and duty effected by returning to the Lord, and

renewing the covenant with him, as among all the godly, so especially

among those that profess their dissent from, and dislike of the corrupt

courses of the times.

Sermon being ended, after prayer, the covenants were first read

according to the _Directory for renewing the solemn league and

covenant_, prescribed by the Act of the General Assembly at Edinburgh,

6th October, 1648, post meridiem, entitled, _Act for renewing of the

Solemn League and Covenant;_ and, thereafter, the following

Acknowledgment of Sins was also read: after which, prayer was made,

containing a comprehensive confession of the more general heads of the

foresaid Acknowledgement of Sins; and a part of the 78th Psalm,

beginning at the 36th verse, was sung; and the minister dismissed the

congregation with a short reprehension and advice, reproving them for

their unconcerned carriage and behaviour during the reading of the

acknowledgment of the breaches of these covenants, which had been first

entered into at the expense of so much blood and treasure, and confirmed

and sealed with the blood of many honourable martyrs of all ranks in the

land; withal, exhorting all present to labour after a heart-melting

frame for the right performance of the work in hand.

Upon Thursday, July 24th, after singing a part of the 105th Psalm, from

the 6th to the 12th verse, and prayer--Mr. John M'Millan preached upon

Isaiah, xliv. 5--"One shall say I am the Lord's: and another shall call

himself by the name of Jacob: and another shall subscribe with his hand

unto the Lord, and sirname himself by the name of Israel." Whereupon,

after the unfolding of the context, and explication of the words,

showing that they clearly contain an intimation of a covenant relation

betwixt God and a people, and their avouching of the same upon their

part; the words seeming to have a reference to the state of the New

Testament Church, and conversion of the Gentiles, who, being allured by

the great gospel blessings and mercies bestowed by God upon the Jews, to

join themselves to the church, should avouch their interest in the

Messiah and covenant of grace, by taking the Lord for their God, and

owning themselves to be his people. So that the words may be taken up as

an answer to such a presupposed question as this, _Whose are you?_ _and

what is your name?_ To which question, one shall answer, _I am the

Lord's;_ another, _I am one of old Jacob's family and offspring_;

another, if you desiderate my name, look the covenant subscriptions and

you will find it there; another shall say, whatever my name was before,

_my sirname now is an Israelite_. So sweetly should a shower of gospel

grace engage the hearts of the New Testament converts to avow their

covenant relation to the Lord, and glory in their union with his church

and covenanted people. Having taking up the sense of the words to this

effect, he deduced from them these two observations:

_1. That the Lord is graciously pleased sometimes to privilege his

people with very remarkable tokens of his gracious presence._ This

doctrine is clear from the context, verses 3d and 4th--"For I will pour

water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will

pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And

they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the

watercourses."

Under this head of doctrine, he gave the following marks to evidence

whether the present time of renewing our covenant with God was indeed to

us a time of the Lord's privileging us with his gracious presence--1st,

That a time of God's privileging his people with his gracious presence,

and with a shower of gospel grace, is a very inviting and alluring time;

wherein, as the Lord invites his people to their duty, by engaging their

hearts and souls, through his Spirit's gracious influences, to fall in

love with him and his commandments, so they mutually invite one another

to covenant with God. 2d, That such a time proves a soul-engaging and

taking time, wherein souls are engaged to fall in love with the

covenant, and with Christ the Mediator of the covenant, and are taken in

the net of the gospel. 3d, That a time of the letting out of God's

gracious presence is ordinarily a time of many sweet and excellent

resolutions, the people of God resolving to walk more accurately and

circumspectly in the ways of new obedience. 4th, That this usually is a

time of ridding marches, and clearing of evidences. 5th, That it is a

time of many and special confirmations of God's love to the soul. 6th,

That this time of God's letting out much of his gracious presence to his

people, is a very uniting and healing time to them amongst themselves.

Having given these marks, to show whether the Lord were, at the

occasion, letting out his gracious presence, he added, by way of

caution, that seeing (no doubt) the people of God would be expecting

something of all these, upon the undertaking of so great a work; if so

be that they found it not, they should not thence be induced to have

hard thoughts of the Lord, and to conclude that he keeps not his usual

method with his people, or is not so good to them as formerly he hath

been: for whatever defects there are upon his people's part, there is

none upon the Lord's, for he remains the same to them, providing they do

so to him; the change of his dispensations towards his people being from

the change of his people's deportment towards him.

The Second Doctrine, resulting more directly from the words, was, _That

the Lord's Spirit poured out in plenty upon his people will quickly

bring them to an embracing of him, and to a public acknowledgment and

avouching of the same._ Thus it was with the people of God in the

text--no sooner does the Lord "pour water upon the thirsty, and floods

upon the dry ground," even his Spirit upon the spiritual seed of Israel,

but presently they are at covenanting work and subscribing work; "One

shall say, I am the Lord's," etc. In prosecuting this doctrine he shewed

first negatively that he was not for that occasion largely to treat of

the several ways that the Spirit useth to manage this work of engaging

the hearts of his people to embrace Christ, and so to make a public

avouchment of the same; whether he doth it by representing to their

views the sweet and precious promises made in the covenant of grace,

thereby sweetly alluring and drawing them with the cords of love to

himself, or by holding forth to their consciences the terrors and

threatenings of the law, and thereby powerfully constraining them to fly

to him as to the city of refuge from the face of Divine Justice pursuing

them: for seeing the Spirit is a free agent and blows both how and where

he listeth, he may engage a soul to close with Christ by either of these

ways, though most usually he doth it by a conjunction and concurrence of

both. Only this ought to satisfy us, that what way soever the Spirit

taketh in bringing a soul to embrace Christ upon the gospel terms, he so

manageth the work as that the end is effectually and infallibly

attained.

Nor Secondly, Was he to enquire into the measure of the outpouring of

the Spirit's graces and operations, which is effectual for attaining the

end, this being one of the deep things of God which the Spirit alone

searcheth, and therefore is not necessary for us further to know, save

only that we understand so much to be needful as may serve to empty the

creature of all confidence in or dependence upon itself, or any other

creature-helps whatsoever, and bring it to rely upon Christ alone, for

acceptance with God; so much is necessary, and less cannot be

sufficient.

Nor Thirdly, Was he to handle the material differences between those who

are brought really and sincerely to accept, embrace and acknowledge the

Lord for their Lord, and to avouch the same publicly, which presupposeth

a mighty power of the Spirit manifested in the sweet impressions which

he maketh upon the soul, moving them sweetly and readily to comply with

and yield to Christ without any longer resistance, and these who only in

semblance and shew profess to avouch Christ to be their Lord, and feign

submission to him, not from the Spirit's effectual and saving

operations, but either from carnal and external considerations, or at

most from the Spirit's common motions and convictions; which differences

commonly arise from the different natures, motives, manner or ends of

this their acknowledging and avouching Christ for their Lord, and

covenanting with Him.

These things, as not so immediately proper for the work in hand, though

natively involved in the doctrine, being only cleared in transition; he

came in the second place more positively to insist upon and handle the

following heads. First, More generally to propose some considerations

which make such a great work as renewing covenant with the Lord a

weighty, hard and difficult work. And upon the other hand, to lay down

some counterbalancing considerations which render such a work more easy

and light, and may afford matter of encouragement toward the undertaking

of it. Secondly, More particularly in application to ourselves and the

work in hand, to lay before those who were resolved to enter into

covenant with the Lord, what were the things that seemed to speak

against us in the work, and might prove matter of discouragement in the

undertaking of it. And what, upon the other side, might speak for us,

and be ground of encouragement to us to go forward in humble and sincere

endeavors to renew our covenant with the Lord. Thirdly, To give some

advices and directions to such as were resolved upon the work. As for

the first: The considerations which make covenanting work weighty and

difficult. The _first_ consideration was drawn from the greatness of the

party to be covenanted with, the great and glorious Jehovah, the

Creator of the ends of the earth, who is a holy and jealous God, and who

will not forgive the iniquity of such as are false hearted and

perfidious in his covenant, obstinately persisting in their false

dealing; so Joshua premonisheth a people making very fair resolutions

and promises to serve the Lord, that it was a harder work than at the

first sight they apprehended; "That they could not serve the Lord, in

regard he is an holy God, he is a jealous God, and would not forgive

their transgressions nor their sins; and that if they should forsake the

Lord, and serve strange gods, then he would turn and do them hurt and

consume them, after he had done them good," Josh. xxiv. 19, 20. 'Tis a

part of his name, Exod. xxxiv. 7. _That he will by no means clear the

(obstinately and impenitently) guilty_.

A _second_ consideration that makes the work of covenanting with God to

appear a hard and difficult work, was taken from the nature of the work

itself, which is to serve the Lord in a covenant way, and in the

capacity of covenanted children, this covenant relation involving in it

a walk and conversation in all things like the chosen of the Lord; and

'tis no small matter, so to walk, and so to behave as to be accounted

worthy of a covenanted union with the Lord and interest in him, this

covenant relation being confirmed with such awful sanctions, as in

scripture we find, Neh. x. 29. "They------entered into a curse and into

an oath, to walk in God's law," &c. This consideration, that covenanting

work is weighty in its own nature, was further illustrated and amplified

from the difficulty both of the things to be engaged against, and of the

things to be engaged unto. As for the former, the things to be engaged

against, which is sin in all its kinds and degrees, and in all the

inducements to it, both with reference to ourselves, and also as to

participation in the sins of others. This must first be put away, if one

would be a right covenanter. Well did old Jacob understand the necessity

of this, who being resolved to go up to Bethel, to renew his covenant

with God, that answered him in the day of his strait, advises his family

first "to put away the strange gods that were amongst them, and to be

clean." Gen. xxxv. 2. So David assures us, Psal. xxxiv. 14, that

departing from evil must precede doing of good. A man that would lift up

his face without spot in renewing covenant with God, must first "put

iniquity far away, and not suffer wickedness to dwell in his

tabernacles," as Zophar advises Job, chap. xi. 14, 15. They that would

take on with a new master must be fairly parted from the old, there is

no way of pleasing both Christ and mammon, and therefore no possibility

of serving both; whence the nature of covenanting work requires, that

there be an upright putting away of all sin; for if the soul have any

secret reserves in favor of a beloved sin, it has no ground to think

that Christ will accept it, as his covenanted spouse and bride. Nor is

this all, but 2dly, it must be mourned over and truly bewailed,

especially upon the account of the offence done to a gracious God

thereby; which sorrow must not be of an ordinary sort, but an

extraordinary and most intense sorrow, for it cannot be an ordinary kind

of sorrow, provided it be in any suitable measure proportioned to the

offence. And 3dly, which follows upon the former, there must be a

"loathing of the person's self because of these its ways and doings that

have not been good in his sight," Ezek. vi. 9, even to that degree as to

fill the soul with wonder and astonishment, that ever it should have an

occasion of renewing covenant with God again. 4thly, There must be a

sincere and hearty resolving against all sins, consequent upon this

loathing; the soul saying with a steady purpose, "if I have done

iniquity I will do so no more," Job xxxiv. 32.

2dly, As to the latter, the things engaged unto render the nature of

covenanting work difficult and weighty, which are duties of various

kinds, such as, 1st, Holiness towards God, which is one special and

chief part of the covenant, and that not for a time only, but for ever;

both in regard that God, the party covenanted with, is holy and

unchangeably so, and calls his people to imitate him in this attribute

especially; and also in regard that the covenant itself is for its

nature holy, all the articles being morally good and consonant to the

royal law, the scriptures of truth; and for the extent of its duration,

of perpetual force and obligation. This duty of holiness towards God,

engaged to in the covenant, comprehends in it a zealous endeavor to

maintain the purity of the doctrine, worship, discipline and government

of his institution, in opposition to all those who would corrupt it, or

decline from it. 2d, Righteousness towards our neighbor, and more

especially to our covenanted brother; which righteousness should

discover itself both in reference to sin and duty, by reproving him for

sin; or upon his rejecting reproof, by withdrawing from him, that he may

be ashamed, and so come to be reclaimed from his evil course; and by

affording him all that help and assistance to covenanted duties, that

may be warrantably called for, and generally by uprightness towards him

in all our transactions and dealings of any kind. 3d, Faithfulness

towards our nation, which comprehends a constant endeavor to advance and

promote in our station the common good thereof; and a stedfast

opposition to the courses that tend to take away the privilege of the

same. 4th, Uprightness towards ourselves, in everything relating to the

real good of our own souls and bodies; by walking in all the duties of

soberness, temperance, and moderation; for as others are to have their

due, so ourselves are not to be neglected.

A _third_ consideration, whereby the duty of renewing covenant with God

appears to be difficult and weighty, was deduced from _the manner and

way of engaging_; whereunto several things of great difficulty to be

attained were showed to be absolutely necessary, as, 1st, _Judgment_, to

know, and in some measure comprehend, the nature of the duties to be

engaged to, and the advantages flowing from the right entering into, and

keeping of the covenant, and the losses redounding to the breakers

thereof. 2d, _Seriousness_, which, if ever it be in exercise, will

certainly then be most lively, when the soul is entering upon a work of

so high import, as making a covenant with God; for then the creature has

one of two things to look for, either covenant blessings, or covenant

curses, according as it performs or not performs the tenor of the

covenant. 3d, _Deliberation_; rashness in covenanting is of dangerous

consequence: 'tis not the example of others only, nor raw flashes of

conviction or love, nor external considerations, as gain, honor, men's

approbation, &c., that must induce to this duty; but a fixed permanent

purpose of heart and soul, rationally and deliberately entered into.

4th, _Heart-integrity_, That it be done with all the heart, 2 Chron. xv.

15, for the man brings himself under a curse, that "having a male in his

flock, sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing." Mal. i. 14.

A _fourth_ consideration, from whence the work of covenanting comes to

be a difficult and hard work, was deduced from the _way and manner of

performing_ the duties engaged to; which is (as 'tis expressed in the

covenant) with sincerity, reality, and constancy; the difficulty of

attaining to these qualifications in the performance of covenant-duties,

arising partly from the strength of corruption within, the law of sin

and death, which opposes the law of God; and partly from the strength of

snares and temptations from without; which requires, that (as becomes

covenanted children) there be a daily recourse to Jesus Christ, for

light to discover, and strength to overcome these corruptions and

temptations; and life, that the soul turn not dead and insensible under

them.

A _fifth_ consideration, from whence the difficulty of covenanting with

God is sometimes heightened, was taken from _the meanness of such as

attempt the work_. When the great ones, the nobles that are called _the

shields of the earth_, do not afford their authority and patrociny, as

an encouragement to the undertaking; and when the wise and learned will

not employ their learning, parts, and abilities for the facilitating

thereof; but the mean and weakest are left to do the work alone. This

was no small difficulty and discouragement to the Tekoites, in their

building and repairing the wall of Jerusalem, "That their nobles put not

their necks to the work of their Lord." Neh. iii. 5.

A _sixth_ consideration, which may sometimes render such a work hard and

difficult, was drawn from _the want of the concurrence of civil

authority; and the opposition made thereunto by the laws of the land_;

which, when it happens to be the case of a people designing to renew

national engagements cannot but be a very difficult and discouraging

ingredient amongst others in their cup.

On the other hand, these counterbalancing considerations were adduced,

which are as so many props and pillars to support his people, and to

allay the difficulties of the duty of entering into covenant with God,

and to make it the more light and easy. 1st, _That the work is the

Lord's_, and he is greatly concerned in it; and, therefore, his people

may safely lean to him for help, he having enacted no law against it, as

men have. 2d, That _he looks not upon his people in such undertakings,

as in themselves_, for then it were impossible for creatures, having

the least sinful imperfection in them, to covenant with their spotless

Creator, and come so near a jealous God, who is a consuming fire to the

workers of iniquity; _but he considers his people in their covenanting

with him, as in their head, Christ, his eternal Son_; whence we may

safely say, That our national covenant wants not a Mediator more than

the covenant of grace, in this sense, as it is through him we have

access to make this covenant with God. 3d, That _the Lord has promised

his presence to his own work_; thus we find through the whole of the

covenants made, and renewed by the people of Israel and Judah, that the

Lord discovered his gracious presence with them, by some remarkable

effect of his goodness. Thus it is remarked of Hezekiah, that after he

had entered into covenant, "That the Lord was with him, and he prospered

whithersoever he went forth," 2 Kings xviii. 7, compared with 2 Chron.

xxix. 10. 4th, That _the Lord puts none of his people to any piece of

his work upon their own proper expense and charges, but upon his own_;

and whatever complaints his people may have of want of necessary

charges, he both has wherewith to supply them, and has undertaken to

make it actually forthcoming for them, having commanded his people to

open their mouths wide, and he has promised to fill them. 5th, That the

covenant has a greater entail of blessings, than what will sufficiently

compensate whatever expense and pains a people may be at, in undertaking

and performing it. In regard, that though a Christian should lose all,

yea, even life itself, upon the account of it, yet the covenant will

bring in all with advantage to a hundred fold, and glory to the

overplus, when it is duly observed. 6th, That _the undertakers have

God's call and commandment to set about it_; this is that which, above

all other considerations, inspires a Christian with undaunted courage

and alacrity in the undertaking of a duty, when it is made clear that

the person has God's call and command for a warrant; otherwise the want

of this may make the duty to be heartlessly and doubtingly entered upon,

and lamely performed.

Seeing, therefore, that sometimes a work may be the Lord's, and yet the

Lord's call to such a particular person, or people to undertake it, may

be wanting; he came necessarily (which was the _second_ head proposed)

to enquire, what were the several things that might seem to speak

against us, as not having this call from the Lord, and what were the

things that spake for us, and might give us matter of encouragement in

undertaking the work before us.--In solution of which the following

considerations were proposed.

1st, As to the things that might seem to speak against us: 1st, _Our

darkness_, not whether covenanting be a duty, but in regard of the want

of right apprehensions of the nature and greatness of the duty, which

cannot be a sufficient ground to neglect the duty, unless there were

some duties from which a Christian is exeemed and that this is one of

them, which indeed will not be found in the whole Bible. 2d, _Our want

of a frame suitable for the greatness and weightiness of the work_,

which speaks sadly against us, but is not to be a ground to neglect the

duty, we being commanded to look to the God of the covenant for it.

Upon the other hand, the things which seemed to speak for us, and yield

matter of encouragement, that not only the work was the Lord's, but also

that we had his call to the same, were, 1st, The many, palpable, plain,

and open breaches of these covenants, are a loud call to renew them. 2d,

The undervaluing account that the nations have made of them, is a call

to all such as have any respect to the sacred name of the Lord invocated

in these covenants, to do their utmost to vindicate them from that

disgrace, by showing how high a price and value they put upon them. 3d,

The lands enacting the perpetual banishment of these covenants, and

imposing oaths contrary and opposite to them; which brings double

perjury upon the nation, both by disregarding and omitting the

performance of this just, lawful, and commendable covenant, and by

making unjust, sinful and hateful covenants, for opposing the growth and

success of Christ's kingdom, even the reformation of these many abuses

that have corrupted the holy religion of his institution: And perjury

drawing wrath after it, as a native and necessary fruit consequent; they

that would stand in the gap, to turn away national wrath, cannot

otherwise make up the hedge, that the land should not be destroyed, but

by renewing and keeping national covenants. 4th, That so many are

speaking against them everywhere, accounting them a conspiracy against

royal authority, a popular combination for advancing private ends and

interests under the cloak of religion, or at least unnecessary and

unprofitable for the end intended by them, binding to things of such a

heterogeneous nature, as renders the keeping of them, and keeping within

the sphere of our own activity and station, inconsistent and impossible,

and such things as whereof we now have no occasion, and the like; which

is a loud call to us, or any that retain other thoughts of their nature

and ends, than the generality do, to speak for them; which cannot be

done more fitly, honorably, nor conspicuously any other way, than by

renewing and observing them. 5th, The practice of the godly in such a

juncture of time, as what ours appears to be, is a call and encouraging

consideration to set us upon this work: the godly usually in times of

great defection from the purity and power of religion, and corruption of

the ordinances of God's worship, set about renewing their covenant,

thereby to prevent covenant curses, and procure covenant blessings; as

we find both in scripture record, 2 Chron. xv. 12, 13; xxix. 10; xxxiv.

30, 31; Ezra x. 3, and in our own ecclesiastic history. And the practice

was justified by the success, for the most part terminating in some

reviving and reformation. 6th, The time being come to such a crisis,

that such as would keep the word of Christ's patience cannot any longer

do it in a distinguishing way from those that are covenant-breakers, but

by renewing covenant, and thereby making a test and trial of the

well-wishers to the covenanted interest in the land, is a call to set

about this work: in former times the godly held fast this their

profession, by suffering for their adherence to covenanted duties,

resisting unto blood, striving against the sin of covenant-breaking;

whereas now our call seems to be more clear to do it, by renewing those

covenant-obligations. 7th, The covenants themselves have, as it were, a

loud voice to call us, and all who own their obligation, to set about

renewing of them; they call by the justness and intrinsic goodness of

the matter, which is of binding force by virtue of the law of God, prior

to any covenant-tie, and by the holiness and excellency of the end, to

wit, the reformation and preservation of religion. Yea, the covenant

seems to say to us, and to every true hearted son of the church of

Scotland, as Job said in another case, "Have pity upon me, O my

friends," &c. So says the covenant: Have pity upon me, all ye that have

any respect for me, for church and state have forsaken me.

The _third_ thing proposed was to give some advices and directions for

right managing the duty intended. The scope and substance whereof

briefly follows:

1st, Such as would make a covenant with God aright, so as the same may

never be broken nor yet forgotten, must labor to know if they be in good

terms with the God of the covenant, and with the Mediator of the

covenant; if they sincerely closed with the terms, and acquiesced to the

proposals of the covenant of grace; this personal and particular

acceptance of Christ in the new covenant being the only fountain of

acceptable entering into national covenants. Hence it concerns all that

would be right Covenanters, to search and see how it may be betwixt God

and them, because 'tis but a profanation of the covenant to have the

hand and tongue at it, and the heart from it: a well informed head

without a reformed heart is not sufficient: a good opinion and liking of

the covenant without a heart and affection to the covenant avails

nothing in God's sight.

2d, Such as would rightly renew covenant with God, must be well resolved

concerning the motives leading them to covenant; which motives must

neither arise wholly from without, nor yet wholly from within, for if

these motives arise wholly from without, it discovers a great deal of

treachery in the persons covenanting, as not beginning at the heart, not

duly considering the inward case of the soul, but being moved from some

external considerations, as a name amongst men, or affectation of zeal

for public concerns, or such like; if they arise wholly from within it

betrays much weakness and lowness of spirit, as not being able at the

same time both to have a concern about the inward frame of the heart,

and eternal state and condition of the soul, and likewise a zeal for the

public good of the nation, and thriving of the work of God and kingdom

of Christ. Both which interests ought to be in their due proportion

before the eyes of a sound and real Covenanter; a right engager in

covenant must be moved thereto, both from a due sense of the strength

and power of corruption within, and also from the consideration of the

lowness of God's work through defection without.

3d, A right covenanter must be well resolved concerning the terms of

the covenant; that it excludes all coming and going, according to the

revolutions of the times, and the ebbing and flowing of worldly

interests: One that has given up his name to the Lord in covenant, and

called himself by the name of Israel, must not, like the Samaritans, be

an Israelite only in the time of Israel's prosperity, but he must be one

in adversity too: The things engaged to in the covenant being of an

everlasting and permanent duration, in their nature, must be lasting

also in their observation.

4th, A right renewer of covenant must be well resolved anent the cost

and expense of steadfast keeping of covenant. This should be first

counted and deliberately resolved upon before engaging, lest after

persons have engaged they want sufficiency to finish and fulfil the

undertaking; and the Wise man assures us, it is better not to vow, than

to vow and not pay. The covenant may come to require the cost both of

doing and suffering to finish it: there must, therefore, be a resolving

upon both, before engaging.

5th, A right covenanter must be well resolved concerning the separating

nature, and the uniting tie and bond of the covenant, for as it

distinguished between friends and foes, so it unites covenanters amongst

themselves in duties, interests, and concerns. So that they become one

society, having an identity of common duties and privileges, common

crosses and rejoicings; and must rejoice together and weep together.

He closed the Sermon with a two-fold advice or exhortation, to two sorts

of persons.

1st, To those who had some good opinion of, and some love for the

covenant, but yet were not resolved to join in covenant with us, because

of many entanglements in a world; some estate, farm, or place of

employment would be forfeited thereby; and hence, though the covenant

be, in their opinion, a lawful and commendable engagement, yet not for

them; they are in a course inconsistent with it, and could not be

otherwise without foregoing some worldly accommodation. Those he advised

to consider the matter duly; not to engage without a resolution to

forsake all interests that might interfere with covenanted duties; for

to engage in the covenant, and yet to walk in a course opposite to it,

would be exceedingly sinful; but to labour rather after old Jacob's

spirit and disposition, who looked to and trusted in the God of the

covenant when he had nothing else to look to--no outward encouragement,

Gen. xxxii. 10--He had but his staff in his hand when he passed over

Jordan, and the Lord made him to return with two bands. For, if a person

could attain Jacob's spirit, name and sirname would be lovely in their

eyes, covenant and covenanting.

2dly, To those who had put their hands to many sinful covenants in

opposition to this covenant, and such as being in a natural and

unrenewed state, in league with sin and Satan, and in covenant with hell

and death. Those he advised and earnestly obtested to break all their

sinful covenants, to loathe and abhor them, and be humbled for them: and

to come and fall in with this covenant, to say in sincerity that whereas

other lords have had too long dominion over them, henceforth they would

make mention only of the name of the Lord as their Lord; and that their

name should henceforth be _Jacob_, and their sirname _Israel_, and to

sign and seal the same with their oath and subscription. This

exhortation he enforced by the several calls to the work mentioned

before, and by the two following motives: 1st, Because right entering

into, and steadfast keeping of this covenant is the way to a holy life,

and a holy life tends to make a holy nation; for, if we would observe

this covenant sincerely, uniformly, and constantly, we could never be an

unholy, and consequently, never an unhappy people; but it should be

written as a motto upon our walls and gates, JEHOVAH SHAMMAI, _the Lord

is there._ 2d, Because the entering rightly into and due observance of

this covenant would be our strength in the midst of all perplexing

thoughts, whether arising from inward corruptions, or from outward

temptations or dangers; the covenant yielded more satisfaction to David

when dying than a royal diadem, a melodious harp, a puissant army,

strong cities, a numerous offspring, or any earthly comforts could do,

when, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5, he supports himself with this, That "though his

house was not so with God," yet He had made with him "an everlasting

covenant, well-ordered in all things, and sure." The keeping of this

covenant had been to our nation a Samson's lock, whereby we should have

been able to oppose all our enemies; whereas the breach of it hath

opened a door to all sorts of enemies to creep in amongst us, and hence

is verified that which the Lord has threatened his people with for

their breach of covenant, Deut. xxviii. 44, that the enemy shall be the

head, and his people the tail.

Sermon being closed by prayer, the Acknowledgment of Sins was again

read, as preparative to the engaging part; and the minister, in the

first place, admonished all such as were guilty of such public steps of

defection as are confessed in the Acknowledgment, to make full and free

confession thereof before the congregation, with such a due sense of,

and sorrow for these public sins, as might evidence a hearty design of

abandoning them and of adhering more closely to covenanted duties, which

accordingly many did, both with respect to the perjurious oaths of the

late times and defections of the present.

Because many have made a handle of this, above any other part of the

action, to reproach and render the whole of the work contemptible,

calling it Jesuitic superstition, enthusiasm, advancing our own

confessions into the room of Christ's satisfaction, and expecting pardon

upon the score of superficial public acknowledgments:--therefore, to

vindicate this part of the work from such groundless calumny, we desire

it may be adverted. 1st, That this is a commanded duty, that such as

have violated the law and commandments of God, and being guilty of false

and unfaithful dealing in his covenant, should unfeignedly confess their

iniquity, which, if they do, God is faithful and just to forgive. 2d,

That according to the nature of the offence, as the same has been acted

secretly or publickly, and is of a secret or public nature and concern,

so it ought to be confessed. If the offence be in its nature and way of

perpetration a secret sin, known only to God and the person's own

conscience, secret repentance sufficeth: nor can the church require any

thing else, in regard such sins come not within the sphere of her

cognizance;--but if the sin be public and national, or only personal,

but publickly acted, so as the same has been stumbling, scandalous, and

offensive to others; then it is requisite, for the glory of God and good

of offended brethren, that the acknowledgment be equally public as the

offence. These are _first principles_ that will not need to be proved,

but may be taken for granted. But, 3dly, To make it appear that it is

consonant to the practice of the godly to make public confession of

national backsliding, we will advance two or three Scripture instances.

Joshua, chap. vii. 19, compared with verse 11, commands Achan, who had

broken God's covenant which he commanded Israel, and so brought upon the

whole nation the Lord's anger, that he would give glory to God, by

making confession to him. Whence it appears, that such sins as are

national in their consequences, and bring national judgments upon a

people, ought to be publickly confessed for turning away these

judgments, and vindicating the honour of the Supreme Lawgiver, Ezra x.

1,2--"Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping, and

casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him

out of Israel a very great congregation of men, women, and children: for

the people wept very sore." Verse 2d, And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel,

one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed

against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land.

Verse 3d, Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God, to put away

all the wives, and such as are born of them. Verse 10, And Ezra the

priest stood up and said unto them, Ye have transgressed and taken

strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel. Verse 11, Now

therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his

pleasure. Verse 12, Then all the congregation answered, and said with a

loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do." Neh. ix. 1--"Now, in the

twenty and fourth day of this month, the children of Israel were

assembled with fasting and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. Verse

2d, And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and

stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

Verse 3d, And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the

law of the Lord their God, one fourth part of the day, and another

fourth part they confessed and worshipped the Lord their God." Acts xix.

18--"And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their

deeds."

These Scripture examples, as we conceive, do sufficiently evince, that

such public confession, for the substance of it, is not only expedient,

but also necessary for such as would renew their covenant with God. As

for some circumstances of the manner thereof, neither are we to

vindicate them, nor can they justly be charged upon the whole of those

who made those confessions; far less upon the minister, who, though he

exhorted such as were guilty of scandalous defection, to glorify God by

a public confession, yet obliged none thereunto _authoritatively_: and

such as confessed the sin of their thoughts, or any other sins not

scandalous or offensive to others; he exhorted to be serious in mourning

over these things secretly before the Lord; but withal told them that

these things are not the subject matter of such a public acknowledgment.

Such as were unconcerned in their confessions, and seemed rather to do

it from the examples of others, than from a real and deep sense of their

guiltiness before God (as it must not be dissembled, there were too

many,) he exhorted to attain a sense of the things confessed, and posed

their consciences, whether they were convinced of what they pretended to

confess. If any was so ignorant and weak in their apprehensions of the

nature of right repentance and justification, as to put their

acknowledgment of sin in the room of Christ's satisfaction, and to rely

thereupon for peace and acceptance with God, as it is alleged they did,

it must be owned that they wofully erred in a matter of the highest

consequence: but to affix this either upon all in general, or upon any

particular person by name, is against the law of charity, and a judging

of the heart, which is not obvious to man, but only to God, and so an

usurping of God's prerogative; wherefore it appears, that the objecting

of these and other such like things against this duty, is the effect of

an impotent malice, and passion against the whole design of the work,

which is too shrewd an evidence of a malignant spirit.

Whereas, some have taken occasion to pass injurious reflections upon the

minister, because he made confession and acknowledgment of his own

personal miscarriage; as though he did it with design to please the

people, and to excite them to make confession of the things whereof they

had no due sense, and that he should have proposed himself, as an

example to the people; therefore, to discover the falsehood of such

reports, we must declare plain matter of fact upon this head. The

minister did indeed acknowledge his own iniquities in general, with

others, and also particularly at the entry of the work; but without any

design to please party or person; but only for the glory of God as

himself declared, which if any shall say was but hypocritical

self-seeking, we must remit them to the apostle's interrogation, to

prepare an answer, _Who art thou, O man, that judgest?_ Neither did he

say that he did it to be an example to others, though, even in that

case, he had not been to be blamed, seeing the best of God's saints, in

public employment in church and state, have done the like in public

assemblies, as Josiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, in sacred record, and in our

church history, the Rev. John Davidson, who, at the renewing of the

covenant, March 30th, 1596, not only exhorted the brethren of the

ministry to a serious confession of their sins, but did also make

confession of his own, and excited the rest by his example, as is

related by Mr. Calderwood in his history of the church of Scotland, page

317. Wherefore, seeing he has the command of God, and the most eminent

of his saints for his warrant and precedent, he may be perfectly

unconcerned, what are the constructions that such persons as are

indifferent either about national sins or judgments do put upon this

action,

The Acknowledgment of Sins being read, the minister prayed, confessing

therein the sins which had been publicly confessed in the said

Acknowledgment, and begging assistance to know and do the duties engaged

unto, then the Engagement to Duties was likewise read in the audience of

the congregation; where he showed that the design of these engagements

was to accommodate the covenants to our case and circumstances. And

advised the mixed multitude to beware of entering into the covenant,

unless they were duly resolved concerning the performing of the same,

according as our fathers understood it, as the same was explained and

applied to the present condition of things in these engagements. After

which the minister having prayed for the gracious presence and

assistance of the divine Spirit, to enable us both to engage and

perform; commanding those who were to renew their covenant to stand

upright, and hold up their right hands, he proceeded to the

administration of the oath, causing the people to elevate their hands at

the end of each article. The covenants being renewed, the minister

addressed himself to those that had entered into covenant to this

purpose. Now, you who have renewed your covenant with God must not

imagine that you may sit down upon your performance and rest yourselves

as though your work was perfected and finished; nay, but you must

consider with yourselves that now it is but beginning; your race is

before you, the greatest, part of the work is before your hand:

covenanting is relative to performing; you must, therefore, meditate

upon, and ponder your engagements more now than before; for now you have

put a new bond upon your souls, to walk with God in all the ways of new

obedience. In order therefore to your performing, as you have

undertaken, I would put you in mind of several particulars, which you

must have much and frequently upon your hearts, and before your eyes.

1st, You must know that a holy life is what becomes Covenanters; it is

not holiness in name, show and appearance, but holiness in reality, in

truth and substance, that must be interwoven with all your actions and

duties; though others should not look to conscience, yet you must;

though others slight and neglect religion, you must by no means do it;

you must put on a Joshua's generous and holy resolution, "That whatever

others do, you and your house will serve the Lord." You must consider

upon it, that well-set speeches concerning the covenant, is not what you

are principally to study, but well-set hearts; you must shake off

laziness as well as hypocrisy.

2d. You must be very regular in your walk; an uniform conversation in

the way of holiness is that which greatly adorns a Christian, and

consequently, a Covenanter. And if you endeavor such a regular course of

life, you will not shape yourselves according to the company you fall

into. As some have a religion for every company, so they have one for

man and another for God, and will be more careful and afraid lest their

hypocrisy be discovered by men, than they are afraid to be made manifest

to the Lord. But so it must not be with you who have renewed your

covenant with the Lord: you must be the same in the closet as in the

public assembly, and have a greater regard to the eye of Jehovah, and

the answer of a good conscience, than the approbation of fellow

creatures.

3d, You mast be careful to perform all things which you have engaged to,

within your sphere and station, but must not go without it: God is _a

God of order_, and as he hath placed the stars in their proper orbs for

the order and ornament of the universe, so hath he assigned to

Christians their diverse stations, for the beauty, order, and union of

the Church; Christ, the Captain of salvation, hath marshalled his

soldiers into rank and file, and it were a disordering of his army if

any should break their ranks.

4th, You must slight no opportunity of pursuing the ends of your

covenant; whatever it may cost you when the occasion offers, suffering

must not deter you from it; and if the times be such now as spare both

your persons and purses, yet you must not be sparing in your prayers for

the reviving of the work of God in the land, which is the very end of

covenanting.

5th, You must be careful that you do not forget the covenant; forgetting

(as you heard before) is a step towards forsaking, and, therefore, you

must endeavour to have the covenant nearer to you than the Israelites

had it--they had it written upon the posts of their doors, you must have

it written upon the tables of your hearts.

6th, You must evidence a great deal of cheerfulness and patience under

your crosses, which may occur to you for your adherence to this your

covenant; you must neither weaken your own hands in the discharge of

covenanted duties, by drooping and discouragement under these crosses,

nor stumble others, by repining at these losses, or by any carriage and

deportment under them that may import your repenting of what you have

now done. And because you are impotent and weak in yourselves,

therefore,

7th, You must see that faith be in exercise in all your performances of

covenanted duties. If this be wanting you will perform nothing to

purpose, "for without faith it is impossible to please God." By this

grace you must keep up acquaintance with Christ, and have frequent

recourse to him, both for cleansing you from your defilements, when you

break the covenant, and for strength to perform what you are obliged to

by covenant; both for recovering grace, to raise you up when fallen, and

for preventing grace, to preserve you from falling or relapsing again.

8th, That you may be the more active and vigilant in keeping covenant,

you must labor to maintain a constant fear of breaking it, and have a

fixed impression of the tremendous threatening denounced against

covenant-breakers; and you must know that all are such in God's account,

who satisfy themselves with the form of godliness, denying the power

thereof. For this end read and ponder these and the like scriptures.

Lev. xxvi. 25, "And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the

quarrel of my covenant, and when ye are gathered together within your

cities, I will send the pestilence among you: and ye shall be delivered

into the hand of the enemy." Neh. v. 13--"So God shall shake out every

man from his house, and from his labor, that performeth not this

promise; even thus be he shaken out and emptied." Jer. xi. 3, "Cursed be

the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, which I commanded

your fathers in the day that I brought them forth from the iron

furnace." Ezek. xvii. 15, "Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doth

such things? or shall he break the covenant and be delivered?" Verse 18,

"Seeing he hath despised the oath, by breaking the covenant, when lo, he

had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not

escape." Verse 19th, "Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, as I live,

surely mine oath that he hath despised and my covenant that he hath

broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head."

The minister having given these exhortations, closed the day's work with

prayer, and singing a part of the ciii. Psalm from the 17th to the 19th

verse. And having intimated the time of meeting for more immediate

preparation for the _holy communion_, putting the people in mind to be

preparing for the work, by fervent prayer and supplication, joined with

serious and upright self-examination, he dismissed the congregation

after the usual form.

This true and unbiassed account of the work in its design, progress and

issue we have given, not to pre-occupy false reports only, which we

cannot rationally suppose an entire freedom from, unless we fall in with

the opposers of our covenanted reformation, and to purchase the good

opinion and commendation of men at the rate of losing the favor of God.

The main end of relating some of the more material heads, scope and

argument of the _sermons_ is because there are some things handled in

them which behoved to have been inserted in this _preface_, to clear up

our motives and call to the work, which could not be better done than as

the same was cleared then to the people. And this brief relation,

though falling short of the matter then delivered, may serve to bring

things to the memories of those that found sweet satisfaction in hearing

them in the public. As for what may be the observations of censorious

critics, either _of the sermons_ in particular, or of the _work_ in

general, we are perfectly unconcerned about them, seeing we equally

value their approbation or disapprobation; providing true matter of fact

be not misrepresented, and so truth injuriously wronged. Nor are we

willing here to make any observation of our own concerning the issue and

on-carrying of the work, though all the godly there present ought to

observe the Lord's gracious assistance and favor (so far as they found

the same afforded to themselves, or displayed in others), lest we may

either be in danger to diminish the grace of God by complaining, or

incur the suspicion of self-flatterers by commending, but shall leave it

to the judgment of such as were then present, and the candid

interpretation of others that may read this preceding account thereof.

There have been many objections made against the _design, matter_ and

_form_ of the _covenants_: more against subjects covenanting to defend

the purity and promote the reformation of religion, without the royal

concurrence of their sovereign princes; most of all against private

persons entering into covenant, or renewing thereof, for the said end

without the general concurrence of the representative body of the church

and state. Those which concern the former two, have been fully answered

by the greatest of our reformers, whose piety and learning set them

sufficiently above the snarling censures of whatsoever cavilling pens or

tongues: As for what are made against the last, they are also answered

better than we can pretend to, in the analysis upon the 19th chapter of

Deuteronomy, prefixed to the National and Solemn League and Covenant

renewed at Lesmahago, whereunto we refer the reader. Only because that

book may not be at hand to every one that would desire these objections

solved, we shall here transcribe the answers to two or three of the most

material of these objections, making but small, if any, variation from

the author's words.

_Object_. 1. "In all the national covenants whereof we read in

scripture, there was still the concurrence of either the sovereign

authority then in being, or at least of the Captains, Elders, Officers,

and Heads of the tribes; And, therefore, it cannot be done by private

subjects, without either royal or parliamentary authority."

_Ans_. Certainly the obligations of the Covenant, held forth Deut. xxix.

10, 11, 12, being so extensive as to reach all the members of church and

commonwealth, of all qualities, ranks, vocations, ages, sexes; is to be

understood _positively_, that all these are obliged to enter into

covenant, but not _negatively_, that without any of these the covenant

should not be entered into. The motives mentioned are to the small as

well as to the great; and without them as well as with them; the

articles of it, and the keeping and doing them, are common to both

alike: The relation that the small and meaner sort of people have to God

(the other contracting party) is the same that the nobles and great ones

have, and the privileges of it, to be established as a people unto

himself and to have him for their God, do no more belong to the one than

the other; And consequently the small may renew it, as well as the

great; but not nationally to bind the whole nation formally, to which

indeed the concurrence of the representatives is necessary. As for

precedents of this practice, see them above, in the narrative of the

sermons, [p. 9].

_Object_. 2. "This covenant having been disclaimed by the political

father, and made void by law, never again revived by authority of

parliament, nor the law rescinded by which it was declared not

obligatory; is therefore of no binding force upon us, who have never

personally sworn it; and to renew it, and bring ourselves under the bond

of it, when we are free, without the concurring or imposing authority of

our rulers, is high presumption in private subjects."

_Ans_. If any engagements can be supposed binding to posterity,

certainly national covenants to keep the commandments of God, and to

adhere to his institutions, must be of that nature. It cannot be denied,

that several obligations do bind to posterity; such as public promises

with annexation of curses to breakers, Neh. v. 12, 13. Thus Joshua's

adjuration did oblige all posterity never to build Jericho, Josh. vi.

26. And the breach of it did bring the curse upon Hiel the Bethelite, in

the days of Ahab. 2dly, Public vows: Jacob's vow, Gen. xxviii. 21, did

oblige all his posterity, virtually comprehended in him, Hos. xii. 4.

The Rechabites found themselves obliged to observe the vow of their

forefather Jonadab, Jer. xxxv. 6, 14, for which they were rewarded and

commended. Public oaths do oblige posterity: Joseph took an oath of the

children of Israel, to carry up his bones to Canaan, Gen. i. 25, which

did oblige posterity some hundred years after. Exod. xiii 19. Josh.

xxiv. 32. National covenants with men before God, do oblige posterity,

as Israel's covenant with the Gibeonites, Josh. ix. 15, 19. The breach

whereof was punished in the days of David, 2 Sam. xxi. 1. Especially

National Covenants with God, before men, about things moral and

objectively obliging, are perpetual; and yet more especially (as Grotius

observes) when they are of an hereditary nature, i.e. when the subject

is permanent, the matter moral, the end good, and in the _form_ there is

a clause expressing their perpetuity.

All which ingredients of perpetual obligations are clear in Scotland's

Covenants, which are _national promises_, adjuring all ranks of persons,

under a curse, to preserve and promote reformation according to the word

of God, and extirpate the opposite thereof. _National vows_, devoting

the then engaging, and succeeding generations to be the Lord's people,

and walk in his ways. _National oaths_, solemnly sworn by all ranks,

never to admit of innovations, or submit to usurpations, contradictory

to the word of God. _National covenants_, wherein the king, parliament

and people did covenant with each other, to perform their respective

duties, in their several places and stations, inviolably to preserve

religion and liberty: Yea, more, _national laws_, solemnly ratified by

the king and parliament, and made the foundation of the people's compact

with the king, at his inauguration: And, finally, they are _national

covenants with God_, as party contracting, to keep all the words of his

covenant. The subject or parties contracting are permanent, to wit, the

unchangeable God and the kingdom of Scotland, (the same may be said of

England and Ireland,) which, whilst it remains a kingdom, is still under

the obligation of these covenants. The _matter_ is _moral_, antecedently

and eternally binding, albeit there had been no formal covenant: the

_ends_ of them perpetually good, to wit, _the defence of the true

reformed religion, and the maintenance of the King's Majesty's person

and estate_, (as is expressed in the National Covenant,) _the glory of

God, the advancement of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ; the honor

and happiness of the King's Majesty and his posterity, and the public

liberty, safety, and peace of the kingdoms_, as it is expressed in the

Solemn League. And in the _form_ of them there are clauses expressing

their perpetuity. In the National covenant it is said, _that the present

and succeeding generations in this land are bound to keep the foresaid

National Oath and Subscription inviolable_. And in the Solemn League,

Article 1, _That we and our posterity after us, may, as brethren, live

in faith and love_. And Art. 5, _That they may remain conjoined in a

firm peace and union to all posterity_.

We may add also the sanctions of rewards and punishments descending to

posterity, prove the obligation perpetual: Which is, alas! too visible

in our case as to the punishments inflicted for the breach of our

covenants, and like to be further inflicted, if repentance prevent not;

so that as we have been a taunting proverb, and an hissing, for the

guilt, we may look to be made a curse and an execration for the

punishment of it. The distinction which some make use of to elude this

obligation, "That suppose they be materially bound, yet seeing they have

not sworn the covenants personally, they are not formally bound," is

both false and frivolous; for our father's oath having all the aforesaid

qualifications, binds us formally as an oath, though we have but

virtually sworn it; and whether the obligation be material or formal,

implicit or explicit, it is all one in God's sight, if it be real,

seeing even virtual obligations have frequently brought rewards and

punishments upon the head of the observers or breakers of them, as well

as formal. Seeing, then, the obligation of the covenant upon us is

evident to a demonstration, it cannot, in justness, be called a

rebellious action against lawful authority, to declare in our station

that we believe so much and resolve to practice accordingly. It is

indeed too true that the wicked laws enacting the perpetual breaches of

these covenants have never been rescinded; but seeing they are wicked

and opposite to the commandment and covenant of the Lord, the supreme

legislator, they are naturally void and null, and have been still so

esteemed by us.

_Object_. 3. "Albeit the National Covenant should be granted to be

binding upon us the people of Scotland, and, therefore, may be renewed:

yet, to renew the Solemn League with England and Ireland, as matters now

stand, is ridiculous and impossible."

_Ans_. This objection is partly answered before in the Sermons, [page

14,] and may be further cleared, if we consider, that the Solemn League

and Covenant may be taken under different respects, _either as a league

amongst men_ or _a covenant between God and men_: in the former sense,

as it notes a _league offensive and defensive_ made betwixt the

collective bodies of these kingdoms, it is certain it cannot be taken by

us, who are but a poor insignificant handful of people, far from any

authority, or influence in church or commonwealth; the collective and

representative body of the three kingdoms having basely abandoned their

covenant with God, and united in a sinful compact opposite thereto, so

that to make a league with England or Ireland in this sense, were to

enter into a sinful confederacy with apostate covenant breakers; but in

the latter acceptation, as it is a covenant with God, not as a witness

only, but also as a party contracting, there is no absurdity or

impossibility why Scotland, or any part thereof, may not renew it,

obliging themselves by a solemn vow to perform what they are bound to

antecedently by the law of God. And if it be considered as an

association, it respects those only who now do, or hereafter shall,

adhere unto it, whether here or in the other two kingdoms. Hence, the

words in the preamble of the Solemn League and Covenant, expressing the

several ranks and the extent of the Covenanters, were not read at the

renewing of it at Douglass, because we own ourselves to be under a

league with none but such as own the covenanted Reformation; these, and

these only, we heartily embrace as our colleagues, into the nearest and

dearest bonds of Christian union and fellowship, according to this

League and Covenant.

As the revolt of the ten tribes from the true religion and covenant of

the Lord their God, hindered not the godly of Judah, nor the small party

that joined in the sincere worship of God, out of Ephraim and Manasseh,

to renew their covenant under the auspicious reigns of Asa, Hezekiah,

Josiah; Nor did the horrid apostacy of the Sectarian party in England

impede our ancestors to renew this Solemn League and Covenant in

Scotland, Anno, 1649. So neither can the defection of the generality of

the three kingdoms, which is to be bewailed, if possible, with tears of

blood, hinder us from testifying our adherence to the covenant, or

invalidate what we have done therein.

_Object_. 4. "Albeit the action should be granted to be for the main,

lawful and right, yet it was most unseasonable to undertake it at such a

time, when the parliament and ministry is composed of a set of men that

evidence no good affection to the present established church in

Scotland, who will be ready to interpret the action of a few

immoderately and unseasonably zealous people, as the deed of the whole

Presbyterians in Scotland, and to make a handle thereof against them, to

impose upon them some new burdens; or to take such measures as will

effectually put a stop to the more general renovation thereof throughout

the land."

In answer to this objection, we shall only desire the gentlemen that

made it to remember, That now for the space of 24 years they have been

crying, the time is not come wherein we should set about

covenant-renewing; one while they have pretended that the time was not

seasonable, because such as were in authority were friends to the

church; and it would look like a suspecting of their integrity, to enter

into covenant for defence and reformation of religion, as if they would

not show themselves active enough for these ends, and prove an

irritation to them to turn enemies to Presbyterian government; it would

cause them to think the Presbyterians to be a people of indiscreet and

ungovernable zeal, and so disgust them at the establishment. Another,

while they excuse themselves from this duty, because these in authority

are unfriendly to the Presbyterian establishment, they must walk

cautiously now and manage prudently, lest they give any umbrage to

Jacobites and Episcopalians to represent them ill at court, and so

occasion the overthrow of the great security founded in the Union

Treaty. Formerly they needed not renew the covenant, because religion

was not in danger; now they dare not attempt to do it because it is;

they must wait till a well-affected parliament and good counsellors set

it out of danger again, and then they will not need to covenant for its

safety. These shifts are too shrewd discoveries of neutrality in this

cause. It is to be feared that the godly have too long been hoodwinked

with such frivolous pretexts; and it is high time for every one that

has the low case of the work of God in the land at heart, to be awakened

to renew their covenant with God and keep the same. The motives and

calls to the work above mentioned will sufficiently, we hope,

demonstrate the seasonableness of it. But if there was a defect as to

the seasonableness, it was not because it was so soon set about, but

because it was no sooner.

We shall not dwell any longer upon these and the like objections; there

will not want mountains of difficulties in the way till such time as the

Lord, coming by his Spirit in a day of his power, shall be pleased to

level them and say, "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubabel

thou shalt become a plain." In that day (we doubt not) there shall be a

willing people to enter covenant with the Lord, even a perpetual

covenant that shall not be forgotten; but, in the mean time, they would

do well to consider the hazard they bring themselves into who wilfully

raise objections against the covenant, because they are unwilling to

enter into it, or be bound by it.

It may be some will desiderate an account of the other _solemn holy

action_ that followed upon the back of this, in regard there were some

circumstances in it not so ordinary in this church in former times,

because of the paucity of public instruments; but neither do we think it

needful to give any large account of it, nor will it fall so properly

into this preface, which concerneth only national covenanting, and, it

is likely the reader's patience is too far transgressed upon already;

nor was there any _substantial or formal_ difference betwixt it and the

comely order of the Church of Scotland observed in our purest times of

reformation in the celebration of that sacred ordinance, except what in

the form arose from the circumstances we were in, and the reason now

mentioned. The work was awful and great, the persons employed about it

few, insignificant in their own eyes, as well as mean in the eyes of

others; and hence the Lord's power and grace was the more conspicuous,

who (we must not dissemble it) was present to the sensible experience of

many, sealing instruction upon the hearts of some, and granting,

strengthening, and confirming grace to others, for which he ought to

have all the glory.

But because there has been, as we are informed, no small clamor raised

anent some expressions used in debarring the ignorant and scandalous

from the holy table of the Lord; _That the Minister should have

unreasonably and presumptuously excommunicated the Queen and Parliament,

and the whole Ministers of the established church of Scotland_;

Therefore, we shall here insert the very words relating to that affair,

as they were uttered by him without any alteration. In warning the

ignorant, scandalous and profane to beware of presuming to approach to

the holy table of the Lord, the minister observed (as the manner is) the

order of the decalogue, where, in the sins forbidden in the second

commandment, as they are enumerated by the very Reverend the Assembly of

Divines sitting at Westminster, in their humble advice concerning a

Larger Catechism, we find these amongst others--"All devising,

counseling, commanding, using, and any ways approving any religious

worship not instituted by God himself, tolerating a false religion.----

All superstitious devices, corrupting the worship of God, adding to it,

taking from it, whether invented and taken up of ourselves, or received

by tradition from others, though under the title of antiquity, custom,

devotion, good intent, or any other pretence whatsoever." Hence, he

expressed himself in these words--"I excommunicate and debar from this

holy table of the Lord, all devisers, commanders, users, or approvers of

any religious worship not instituted by God in his Word, all tolerators

and countenancers thereof; and by consequence I debar and excommunicate

from this holy table of the Lord, Queen and Parliament, and all under

them, who spread and propagate or tolerate a false superstitious

worship, ay and until they repent," And in relation to the opposing of

the covenants and work of reformation, he had these words--"I

excommunicate and debar all who are opposers of our covenants and

covenanted Reformation, and all that have taken oaths contrary to our

covenants, and such particularly as are takers of the Oath of

Abjuration, whether Ministers or others, until they repent."

That this was no presumptuous and rebellious arrogance is evident,

because the sins for which he debarred Queen and Parliament, and all

others guilty of them, are proven from Scripture to be gross breaches of

God's law, and every violation thereof persisted in without repentance,

is a sufficient cause (in the opinion of Protestant Divines) to debar

and exclude from the Lord's table. Now, it is certain that even those

ministers of the established church who make such obloquy against the

work for this particular, do the same thing in effect every time that

they administrate this ordinance, for (as can be proved if they please

to require it, or do deny it,) they excommunicate from the table all

guilty of such sins as are forbidden in the second commandment,

according as they are specified in the forsaid Catechism; and so, by an

infallible consequence, they excommunicate the Queen and Parliament, who

are grossly guilty of the most of them, only they have not the courage

ingenuously and freely to own and express the consequence, but that it

follows natively and necessarily from the premises, even according to

their own principles, they will never be able to disprove.

Now, Reader, thou hast a just and true account as far as was necessary,

of our poor and weak endeavours in this matter, which we hope will, at

least, stand as a witness and testimony (without arrogance we desire to

speak it) against the apostacy of some and indifferency of others, who

should have been to us as the _he-goats before the flock_ in paving our

way to Zion, but are rather _making to themselves captains_ to carry us

back to Babylon, and pollute our land with idolatry and superstition;

and, as a pledge to posterity that the Lord has not yet utterly deserted

the land, though we rather wish,(if so it may consist with his holy

purpose, _who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working_) that it

might tend to excite, some to bethink "whence they have fallen, and

repent, and to do their first works, lest the Lord come quickly, and

utterly remove his candlestick from us:" and engage them to renew these

covenants in a more public way, and prosecute the ends of them with more

zeal, fidelity, and constancy, "that the Lord may yet delight to dwell

amongst us, make our judges peace, and our exactors righteousness," and

make us to be called _Hephzibah_, and our land _Beulah_.

The reader may please to cast his eye upon the following passages,

quoted from the writings of some of the ablest divines, wherewith these

kingdoms have been blessed, since the first reformation from Popery;

wherein he will see, how far different an opinion they have entertained

of the Covenant, from what are the thoughts of the learned

Latitudinarians of our age.

_A Testimony to the truth of_ JESUS CHRIST _and to our Solemn League

and Covenant, &c., subscribed by the Ministers of Christ, within the

province of London, December_ 14, 1649 Head IV.

"In order unto reformation and defence of religion within these three

kingdoms, we shall never forget, how solemnly and cheerfully the Solemn

League and Covenant was sworn with hands lifted up to the most high

God.--We were, and are abundantly satisfied, that our Solemn League and

Covenant of September 27, 1643, is not only warrantable for the matter

of it and manner of entering into it, but also of such excellency and

importance,--That it will be very hard in all points to parallel it;

and, therefore, as we did sincerely swear this covenant with God, with

all our heart, and with all our soul, much rejoicing at the oath with a

true intention to perform it, and not for promoting any politic design;

so we do believe and profess to the world that we still stand as firmly

engaged to the real performance of it, and that it is not in the power

of any person or persons on earth to dispense with it or absolve from

it."

_The harmonious consent of the Ministers of the county Palatine

Lancaster with their Reverend Brethren the Ministers of the province of

London._ Head V.

"We shall never forget how solemn it (the Solemn League and Covenant)

was sworn, and what rejoicing there was at the oath, sundry at the

taking of it weeping for joy; and when the Covenant was thus taken, we

thought with ourselves, that surely now the crown is set upon England's

head: We judged the day of entering into this Covenant to be England's

coronation-day, as it was the day of the gladness of our hearts."

_Mr. Philip Nye's Exhortation at the taking of the Covenant, September

29th, 1649, p. 2._

"This Oath is such, and in the matter and consequence of it of such

concernment, as I can truly say, it is worthy of us, yea, of all the

kingdoms of the world; for it is swearing fealty and allegiance to

Christ the King of kings, and giving up of all these kingdoms which are

his inheritance, to be subdued more to his throne, and ruled more by his

sceptre, upon whose shoulders the government is laid."

* * * * *

_THE NATIONAL COVENANT, OR THE CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE KIRK OF

SCOTLAND_;

Subscribed at first by the King's Majesty and his Household, in the year

of God 1580; Thereafter, by persons of all ranks, in the year 1581; By

Ordinance of the Lords of the Secret Council, and Acts of the General

Assembly. Subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year 1590, by

a new Ordinance of Council, at the desire of the General Assembly, with

a Band for the maintenance of the true religion, and the King's person:

And subscribed in the year 1638, by the Noblemen, Barons, Gentlemen,

Burgesses, Ministers and Commons, then under-subscribing; together with

their resolution and promises for the causes after specified, to

maintain the True Religion, and the King's Majesty, according to the

Confession aforesaid and Acts of Parliament; And upon the supplication

of the General Assembly to his Majesty's High Commissioner, and the

Lords of his Majesty's honorable Privy Council. Subscribed again in the

year 1639, by Ordinance of Council, and Acts of General Assembly, &c.,

&c. The Tenor whereof here followeth.

We all, and every one of us underwritten, 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 Word and

Spirit 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, 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 of Scotland,

and sometimes by the King's Majesty, and the 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 publickly confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliaments, and now of a long

time have 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 own consciences, 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 tyrranous

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 offices of Christ, and his blessed evangel:

His corrupted doctrine concerning original sin, our natural inability

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 transubstantiation, 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 Word; His cruelty

against the innocent divorced: His devilish mass: His blasphemous

priesthood: His profane sacrifice for the sins of the dead and the

quick: His canonization of men; calling upon angels or saints departed;

worshipping of imagery, relics 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 satisfactions 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, earning, anointing, conjuring,

hallowing of God's good creatures, with the superstitious 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 and approvers of that

cruel and bloody bond, conjured against the Kirk of God.

And finally, we detest all his vain allegories, rites, signs, and

traditions brought into 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 swearing 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 continued 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 consciences, minding thereby, first, under

the external cloak of religion, to corrupt and subvert secretly God's

true religion within the Kirk, and afterwards, when the 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 _Subscription_, so

that we are not moved with any worldly respect, but are persuaded only

in our own consciences, 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[5]

King's Majesty,] as upon a comfortable instrument of God's mercy,

granted to this country, for the maintaining of this kirk, and

ministration of justice amongst us, we protest and promise with our

hearts, under the same oath, hand-write, and pains, that we shall defend

[his[6] person and authority,] with our goods, bodies, and lives, in

the defence of Christ's evangel, liberties of our country, ministration

of justice, and punishment of iniquity, against all enemies within this

realm, or without, 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 of the

true kirk-discipline, jurisdiction and freedom thereof; or in favor of

idolatry and superstition; or of the Papistical kirk; as Act. 3, Act.

31, Parl. 1; Act. 23, Parl. 11; Act. 114, Parl. 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, Parl.

20, King James VI. 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, Parl. 11, King James VI.; as common enemies

to all Christian government, Act 18 Parl. 16, King James VI.; as

rebellers and gainstanders of our sovereign Lord's authority, Act 47

Parl. 8, King James VI.; and as idolaters, Act 104, Parl. 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 ordain the maintainers thereof to be punished, Act 2, Parl. 1;

Act 51 Parl. 3; Act 106, Parl. 7; Act 114, Parl. 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,

publickly preached, and by law established in this realm; and ordain the

spreaders and makers of books, or libels, or letters, or writs of that

nature, to be punished, Acts 46, Parl. 3; Act 106, Parl. 7; Act 24, Par.

11, K. James VI. do condemn all baptism conform to the Pope's kirk, and

the idolatry of the mass; and ordains all sayers, wilful hearers,

concealers of the mass, the maintainers and resetters of the priests,

Jesuits, trafficking Papists, to be punished without any exception or

restriction, Act 5, Parl. 1; Act 120, Parl. 12; Act 134, Parl. 13; Act

139, Parl. Act 1, Parl. 19; Act 5, Parl. 20, King James VI., do condemn

all erroneous books and writs, containing erroneous doctrine against the

religion presently professed 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, Parl. 11, King

James VI., do condemn the monuments and dregs of the bygone idolatry, as

going to crosses, observing the festival days of Saints and 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, Parl. 7, King James VI.

Likeas, many acts of parliament are conceived for maintenance of God's

true Christian religion, and the purity thereof in doctrine and

sacraments of the true church of God, the liberty and freedom thereof in

her national synodical 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, Parl. 7, Act 23, Parl. 11; Act 114, Parl. 12;

Act 160, Parl. 13, King James VI., ratified by the 4th Act of King

Charles. So that the 6th Act, Parl. 1, and 68th Act, Parl. 6, of King

James VI., in the year of God 1579, declares 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 communicate with the holy

sacraments, (as in the reformed kirks of this realm they were publickly

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 of God 1560, specified also in the first

Parliament of King James VI, and ratified in this present parliament;

more particularly do specify, or that refuse the administration of the

holy sacraments as they were then administered, 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, Parl. 6. of King James VI. declares,

that there is none 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 subscribe the articles thereof, the Confession of Faith, to recant

all doctrine and errors repugnant to any of the said articles, Act 4 and

9, Parl. 1; Act 45, 46, 47, Parl. 3; Act 71, Parl. 6; Act 106, Parl. 7;

Act 24, Parl. 11; Act 123, Parl. 12; Act 194 and 197, Parl. 14, of King

James VI. And all magistrates, sheriffs, &c. on the one part, are

ordained to search, apprehend, and punish all contraveners; for

instance, Act 5, Parl. 1; Act 104, Parl. 7; Act 25, Parl. 11, King James

VI.; and that notwithstanding of the King's Majesty's licence to the

contrary, which are discharged and declared to be of no force, in so far

as they tend in any ways to the prejudice and hinder of the execution of

the acts of parliament against Papists and adversaries of true religion,