agree and resolve, all the days of your life, constantly to adhere unto
and defend the true religion. There is no scruple here. 2. That ye
suspend and forbear the practice of all novations already introduced in
the matters of the worship of God, or approbation of the corruptions of
the public government of the kirk, or civil places and power of kirkmen,
till they be tried and allowed in free assemblies and in parliaments.
Now, I know there be some who make scruples here. How can we, say they,
bind ourselves to forbear the practice of that whilk Acts of Assembly
allows, and Acts of Parliament commands? _Ans._ We do not herein condemn
the Act as altogether unlawful, whatever our judgment be of it, but this
is all what we do. Because such ills has followed upon these novations,
therefore we think it meet now to forbear the practice of them till they
be tried by Assembly and Parliament.
And this is not a breach of the Act, when all is done. Because the Act
is not set down in the manner of a command, but only as a counsel; for
so the Act of the pretended Assembly bears. The words is, "The Assemblie
thinks good," &c., "because all memory of superstition is now past,
therefore we may kneel at the communion." Then, if there be any danger
of superstition, by the very words of the Act we may gather this, that
we should not kneel: and so they who practice now keep the letter of the
Act, but they who forbear keep the meaning thereof more nearly than the
practisers. 3. We promise and swear against the Service-book, Book of
Canons, and High Commission, with all other innovations and ills
contained in our Supplications, Complaints, and Protestations. Now for
the Service-book, I find every one almost to be so inclined willingly to
quite (be done with) it. But let me attest your own consciences, if it
had gone on for a while, and been read among you, as it was begun to be,
if it had not been as hard for you to have quat it as to quit the
Articles of Perth; and therefore, do not deceive yourselves, to let such
things be practised any more. It is a pitiful thing, that those who are
wise otherways should deceive themselves in the matters of God's service
and worship, and suffer others to deceive them also. 4. Ye promise and
swear, to the uttermost of your power to stand to the defence of the
king's majesty, in the defence and preservation of true religion: as
also, every one of you to the mutual defence of another in the same
cause. Now there be a number who says, that in this we come under
rebellion against the king, and we join in a combination against him,
when we join ourselves thus, every one for the defence of another. I say
no more of it but this. It is not disputed here, ye see, whether it be
lawful for subjects to take up arms against their prince or not, whether
in offence or defence; but that we will maintain the true religion, and
resist all contrary corruptions, according to our vocation. And every
one of us oblishes ourselves for the defence of another, only in
maintaining the cause of true religion, according to the laws and
liberties of this kingdom. And indeed, this is very reasonable to be
done, albeit not asked of; for when your neighbour's house is burning,
ye will not run to the king to speir (ask) if ye should help him or not,
before it come to your own; but ye will incontinent put to your hand,
both to help him, and to save your own house. Ye may not say, neither,
that because we may not oppose against authority, that we may not oppose
against Papists or against Prelates; for that were to make ourselves
slaves to men. And the very law of nature binds every one of us to help
another, in a lawful manner, for a good cause. 5. Ye swear, because ye
cannot look for a blessing from God upon your proceedings, except that
with your confession and subscription ye join such a life as becomes
Christians who has renewed their covenant with God,--therefore ye
promise to endeavour at least, for yourselves and all that are under
you, to keep yourselves within the bounds of your Christian liberty, and
to be good ensamples to others in all godliness, soberness, and
righteousness, and of every duty we owe both to God and man. And there
is none who needs to skarre (be frightened) at this; for we are not
hereby to tie any to the obedience of the law, but to the obedience of
the Gospel: and I am sure all are bound at least to please to (strive
after) this. And therefore I would have you to labour to it; and when ye
find that ye cannot get it done, then run to Christ, and beseech Him to
teach you to do it; and to give you strength, according to His promise
made in His new covenant; and so ye sail give glory to God and get good
to your own souls. And, indeed, all of you are obleist to amend your
lives, and to live otherwise than ye have done. And last of all, there
is the _Attestation_.
Now, I hope all these things be so clear to you, that there is not any
scruple in any of your minds. And therefore, that this work may be done
aright, and may be accompanied by the power of God, I would have all of
you to bow your knees before that great and dreadful Lord, and beseech
Him that He would send down the Holy Ghost, and the power of His Spirit,
to accompany the work, that so ye may do it with all your hearts, to His
glory and honour, and to your comfort in Jesus Christ.
THE NATIONAL COVENANT:
EXHORTATION AT INVERNESS.
_BY ANDREW CANT._[3]
Long ago our gracious God was pleased to visit this nation with the
light of His glorious Gospel, by planting a vineyard in, and making His
glory to arise upon Scotland. A wonder! that so great a God should shine
on so base a soil! Nature hath been a stepmother to us in comparison of
those who live under a hotter climate, as in a land like Goshen, or a
garden like Eden. But the Lord looks not as man: His grace is most free,
whereby it often pleaseth Him to compense what is wanting in nature:
whence upon Scotland (a dark obscure island, inferior to many) the Lord
did arise, and discovered the tops of the mountains with such a clear
light, that in God's gracious dispensation, it is inferior to none. How
far other nations outstripped her in naturals, as far did she out-go
them in spirituals. Her pomp less, her purity more: they had more of
antichrist than she, she more of Christ than they: in their reformation
something of the beast was reserved; in ours, not so much as a hoof.
When the Lord's ark was set up among them, Dagon fell, and his neck
brake, yet his stump was left; but with us, stump and all was cast into
the brook Kidron. Hence king James his doxology in face of parliament,
thanking God who made him king in such a kirk that was far beyond
England (they having but an ill-said mass in English) yea, beyond Geneva
itself; for holy-days (one of the beast's marks) are in part there
retained, which (said he) to day are with us quite abolished. Thus to a
people sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death, light is sprung
up. Thus, in a manner, the stone that the builders refused is become the
head of the corner. The Lord's Anointed (to whom the ends of the earth
were given for a possession and inheritance) came and took up house
amongst us, strongly established on two pillars, Jachin and Boaz, and
well ordered with the staves of beauty and bands, and borrowing nothing
from the border of Rome. Her foundation, walls, doors, and windows were
all adorned with carbuncles, sapphires, emeralds, chrysolites, and
precious stones out of the Lord's own treasure. God Himself sat with His
beauty and ornaments therein, so that it was the praise and admiration
of the whole earth. Strangers and home-bred persons wondered. Such was
the glory, perfection, order, and unity of this house, that the altar of
Damascus could have no peace, the Canaanite no rest, heresy no hatching,
schism no footing, Diotrephes no incoming, the papists no couching, and
Jezebel no fairding. Our church looked forth as the morning, fair as the
moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners. Then God's
tabernacle was amiable, His glory filled the sanctuary, the clear fresh
streams watered the city of our God; the stoutest humbled themselves,
and were afraid. If an idiot entered the Lord's courts, so great power
sounded from Barnabas and Boanerges, the sons of consolation and
thunder, that they were forced to fall down on their face, and cry,
"This is Bethel, God is here."
But alas! Satan envied our happiness, brake our ranks, poisoned our
fountains, mudded and defiled our streams; and while the watchmen slept,
the wicked one sowed his tares: whence these divers years bygone, for
ministerial authority, we had lordly supremacy and pomp; for beauty,
fairding; for simplicity, whorish buskings; for sincerity, mixtures; for
zeal, a Laodicean temper; for doctrines, men's precepts; for wholesome
fruits, a medley of rites; for feeders we had fleecers; for pastors,
wolves and impostors; for builders of Jerusalem, rebuilders of Jericho;
for unity, rents; for progress, defection. Truth is fallen in the
streets, our dignity is gone, our credit lost, our crown is fallen from
our heads; our reputation is turned to imputation: before God and man we
justly deserve the censure of the degenerate vine; a backsliding people,
an apostate perjured nation, by our breaking a blessed covenant so
solemnly sworn.
Yet, behold! when this should have been our doom, when all was almost
gone, when we were down the hill, when the pit's mouth was opened, and
we were at the falling in, and at the very shaking hands with Rome; the
Lord, strong and gracious, pitied us, looked on us, and cried, saying,
"Return, return, ye backsliding people; come, and I will heal your
backslidings." The Lord hath been so saving, and the cry so quickening,
that almost all of all ranks, from all quarters and corners, are
awakened and on foot, meeting and answering the Lord, saying, "Behold we
come unto Thee, for Thou art the Lord our God, other lords besides Thee
have had dominion over us, but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy
name." All are wondering at the turn, and looking like them that dream,
and are singing and saying, "Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us
for a prey to their teeth; our souls are escaped as a bird out of the
snare of the fowler, the snare is broken, and we are escaped: our help
is in the name of the Lord who made the heaven and the earth." Who
thought to have seen such a sudden change in Scotland, when all second
causes were posting a contrary course? when proud men were boasting and
saying, "Bow down that we may go over;" and we laid our "bodies as the
ground, and as the streets to them that went over." But now, behold one
of God's wonders! So many of all ranks taking the honour and cause of
Christ to heart; all unanimously, harmoniously and legally conjoined as
one man in supplications, protestations and declarations against
innovations and innovators, corruptions and corrupters. Behold and
wonder! That old covenant (once and again solemnly sworn and
perfidiously violated) is now again happily renewed, with such
solemnity, harmony, oaths and subscriptions, that I dare say, this hath
been more real and true in thee, O Scotland, these few weeks bygone,
than for the space of thirty years before. I know Pashurs that went to
smite Jeremiahs, are become at this work Magor-missabib, terror round
about; Zedekiahs that went to smite Micaiahs, seek now an inner chamber
to hide themselves. Tobiah and Sanballat gnaw their tongues, laugh and
despise us, saying, "What is this ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?
Will ye fortify yourselves? Will ye make an end in a day? Will ye remove
the stones out of the heaps of rubbish that is burnt?" Rehum the
chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, cease
not to fill the ears of a gracious prince with prejudice, saying, "Be it
known to thee, O king, if this city be built, and the walls thereof set
up again, that they will not pay toll, tribute or custom." But to these
we answer, "Let the king live, and let all his enemies be confounded,
let all that seek his damnation be put to shame here and henceforth: but
as for you, ye are strangers, meddle not with the joy of God's people;
ye have no portion, right, nor memorial in God's Jerusalem." If the
begun work vex them, it is no wonder; it does prognosticate the ruin of
their kingdom, and that Haman, who hath begun to fall before the seed
of the Jews, shall fall totally: the Lord is about to prune His
vineyard, and to drive out the foxes that eat the tender grapes; to
pluck up bastard plants, and to whip buyers and sellers out of the
temple. The Lord is about to strike the Gehazis with leprosy, and to
bring low the Simon Maguses who were so high lifted up by Satan's
ministry. The Lord is calling the great ones to put too their shoulder,
and help His work; He hath been in the south, saying, "Keep not back,"
and blessed be God, they have not. He hath now sent to the north,
saying, "Give up, bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the
ends of the earth:" contend for the faith once delivered to Scotland.
There is one Lord, one faith, one cause that concerns all. Though this
north climate be cold, I hope your hearts are not, at least they should
not be. The earth is the Lord's and its fulness, the world and they that
dwell therein; the uttermost parts of the earth are given to Christ for
a possession; His dominion is from sea to sea, and from the river to the
ends of the earth. Come then, and kiss the Son; count it your greatest
honour to honour Christ, and to lend His fallen truths a lift; come and
help to build the old wastes, that ye may be called the repairers of the
breach; and then shall all generations call you blessed; then shall God
build up your houses, as He did to the Egyptian midwives, for their
fearing God, and for their friendship to His people Israel. Be not like
the nobles of Tekoa, of whom Nehemiah complained, that they would not
put their necks to the work of the Lord. Be not like Meroz, whom the
angel of the Lord cursed bitterly, for not coming to the help of the
Lord against the mighty. Neither be ye like these mockers and scorners,
at the renewing of the Lord's covenant in Hezekiah's days, but rather
like those whose hearts the Lord humbled and moved. Be not like those
invited to the king's supper, who refused to come, and had miserable
excuses, and therefore should not taste of it. We hope better things of
you; God hath reserved and advanced you for a better time and use: but
if ye draw back, keep silence, and hold your peace, God shall bring
deliverance and enlargement to His church another way; but God save you
from the sequel. Nothing is craved of you but what is for God and the
king; for Christ's honour, and the kirk's good, and the kingdom's peace.
God give to your hearts courage, wisdom and resolution for God and the
king, and for Christ and His truths. _Amen._
THE NATIONAL COVENANT
SERMON AT GLASGOW.[4]
_By ANDREW CANT._
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage
for his son: and he sent forth his servants to call them that were
bidden to the wedding; and they would not come," etc.--_Matt._ xxii. 2,
3, 4, 5, 6.
I purpose not to handle this parable punctually, because it stands not
with the nature of a parable, neither will the time suffer me so to do.
The parable runs upon an evident declaration and clear manifestation of
God's sweetest mercies, in offering the marriage of His Son, His own
Son, His well-beloved Son, the Son of His love, the Son of His bosom,
the Son as good as the Father, the Son as great and as glorious as the
Father, the Son whose generation none can declare. The Father offers
this His Son in marriage: 1. To the Jews, as you have in the first seven
verses of the parable. 2. To the Gentiles, in the rest of the parable.
1. To the Jews, not because of their worthiness; "But even so, O Father,
for so it seemed good in Thy sight." This offer was the effect of no
merit, neither of congruity nor of condignity in the Jews; for they were
like that wretched and menstruous infant, Ezek. xvi. 3, 4, unswaddled,
unwashen, uncleansed, "lying in its blood, its navel not cut, nor
salted at all, nor swaddled at all, cast out in the open field, having
no eye to pity it."
2. As for the Gentiles, ye may see what case they were in, if ye read
this same parable, Luke xiv. 20. "Go ye out into the streets and lanes
of the city, and call the poor, the lame, blind and maimed," etc. Some
were cripple, some poor and blind, and withered, and miserable, and
naked, and leper, unworthy to come to our Lord's gates, let be to have
them opened wide to us; unworthy to be set down at His table, let be to
be admitted to His royal marriage feast, and to get Christ our Lord to
be our match, and to be the food and cheer of our souls: and therefore
let all souls, let all pulpits, let all schools, let all universities,
let all men, let all women, let all Christians cry, grace, grace, grace,
praise, praise, praise, blessing, blessing, for evermore to the Lord's
free grace. Fy, fy, upon the man; fy, fy, upon the woman, that is an
enemy to the Lord's free grace. The fullest, and the fairest, and the
freest thing in heaven or earth is the free grace of God, to our poor
souls: "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name be the
glory."
At another occasion I handled the parable after a more general manner,
and propounded these points unto you: 1. Who was this great king? 2. Who
was the Son of this great king?
1. This great King is God Himself, "the King of kings, and Lord of
lords." Then for the Lord's sake, stand in awe of Him, love Him and fear
Him. And I charge you all here before that great and dreadful Lord, that
ye humble yourselves under His mighty hand, and that ye prostrate and
submit yourselves under His almighty hand, and come away as ye promised.
Kiss the Son, and embrace Him, and then shall wrath be holden off you;
and a shower of God's mercy shall come down upon you. Then the King is
God.
2. The King's Son is Christ. Then there follows a dinner, "I have
prepared my dinner." Yea, I have a supper also, for Luke says, He
"prepared a great supper." I told you in what respects it is great. 1. I
told you it was great in respect of the author of it, God. 2. I told you
it was great in respect of the matter of it. Ye know the matter of it,
as holy Scripture tells. Whiles it gets base, silly, simple names, and
is delineated and expressed under common terms: but the most common term
it gets is so considerable that our case would not be good if it were
wanting. Whiles 'tis called "a feast of fat things full of marrow, of
wine on the lees well refined." Whiles it is called "gold." Whiles it is
called "fatlings, and a fatted and fed calf." Whiles 'tis "honey and
milk." Whiles it is called "oil and wine." Whiles it is called the
"bread of life." In a word, to tell you what this feast is, it is this
Christ and all His saving graces freely given to thy soul. Then, 3. It
is great in respect of the manner of its preparation: I confess, this
feast, though prepared in silver, is often administered in earthen
vessels, and clay dishes: and, though it be mingled with butter and
honey, yet this makes the natural man, when he looks upon it, not to
think much of it, because he looks on the outside of it only. But would
to God your eyes were opened to see the inside of it, and not to be like
proud Naaman, who said, "What better is this water of Jordan than the
water of Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus?" As some say, What
better is this feast than the feast we have at home? As the man of God
prayed for his servant, "Lord, open his eyes that he may see;" and the
Lord opened his eyes, and he saw another sight, even the mountain full
of horses and flaming chariots of fire; so, I pray the Lord open all
your eyes, that ye may see the many differences between this feast and
all other feasts; for other feasts are but feasts for the body, and they
are but feasts for the belly; an Esau may have them, a reprobate may
feed upon them. These are nothing else but the swine's husks, whereon
the prodigal fed for a time, and scarce could get them; but when he came
back again to his father's house, then he fed upon the fatted calf; and
then he got a feast, and then was there plenty, then did his well run
over, then was his cup to the brim, and overflowing. O that ye knew your
Father's house, and the fatness, the fulness, the feast, and the plenty
that are there, ye would all hunger after it, and would then say, alas!
I have been feeding on husks too long, "now will I arise and go to my
father's house, where there is bread enough." All the Lord's steps drop
plenty and fatness. 4. I told you that this supper is a great feast in
respect of the great number that are called unto it. The poorest thing
in all the land is called unto it: the Jews are called, the Gentiles are
called, yea the poorest thing that is hearing me is called; such as a
great man would not look on, but he would close the gates on such an
one; a great man would not deign himself to look on them in his kitchen;
yet come ye away to this feast, the King of kings has His house open,
and His gates patent, He has a ready feast, and a room house, and fair
open gates, and every body shall be welcome that will come. "Whosoever
thirsts; let him come, and take of the water of life freely." And now
through all the nooks and corners of this kingdom of Scotland, Christ is
sending out His servants, and I am sent out unto you this day, crying
unto you, "Come away, His oxen and fatlings are killed, His wine is
drawn, and His table furnished, and all things ready." 5. I told you it
was a great feast, in respect of the place where it is kept. There are
two dining-rooms:--(1) A dining-room above. (2) A dining-room below. A
dining-room above, that is a high dining-room, that is a fair house,
that is a trim place. O the rivers of the Lord's consolations that run
there: I confess, in this lower dining-room of the church, the waters
come first to the ankles, then to the mid-leg, then to the knees, then
to the thigh, and then past wading; but then shall ye get fulness, when
ye come up to that dining-room. And when ye come there, there shall be
no more hunger, no more thirst, there shall be no more scant nor want,
nor any more sour sauce in your feasts, neither any more sadness, nor
sorrowful days; but eat your fill, and drink your fill. And many shall
come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the
south, and shall sit down at the royal and rare covered table, with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and get their fill to their hungered--"When I
awake (says David) I shall be filled with Thy likeness." Poor soul, thou
canst never get thy fill; I wish to God thou got a sop and a drop to set
thee by till then. Indeed, if thou hadst a vessel, thou shouldst get thy
fair fill even in this life. And I dare say, if thou wouldst seek, and
seek on, and seek instantly, the Lord would one day or other make thee
drink of the new wine of the gospel; He would give thee a draught, a
fair draught, a fill, a fair fill of the wine of His consolation, He
would make you suck the milk at the breasts of His consolation; but He
will aye keep the best wine hindmost, as He did at the marriage of Cana.
Therefore, poor thing, lift up thy head, and gather thy heart; ere it be
long thou shalt get a draught of the best wine in thy Father's house,
where there are many mansions, and many dwelling-places. "I go (says
Christ) to prepare a place for you:" and He will come again, and receive
you to Himself, where ye shall drink abundantly of the new wine of the
gospel. _Lastly_, This supper is a great one in respect of the
continuance of it; it lasts not for one day, but for ever; it lasts not
for a hundred and four-score days, but for ever, and evermore. Poor
thing, who possibly gets some blyth morning blinks in upon thy soul, and
possibly gets a taste of this cup in the morning, and long ere even thou
art hungering and thirsting again, and thou wots not where to meet thy
Lord, and all the thing thou hast gotten is forgotten; in the day that
He shall come, then thou shalt feast constantly and continually in thy
Father's house, where thou shalt never want thy arms full, thou shalt
never want thy Lord out of thy sight, neither shall thy Lord ever want
thee, but He shall ever be with thee, and thou with Him; thou shalt
follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes.