word and action is beautiful in his own time. A public engagement is
then seasonable, 1. When a land hath been full of troubles: God by such
troubles prepares a people for Him in this duty. "I will cause you to
pass under the rod, and so I will bring you into the bond of the
covenant." And we know, we feel God hath chastised us sore of late; but
in them He hath not given us over to death, that by them He might
prepare us for Himself. When a land hath been full of corruptions, and a
shrewd decay hath been in spirituals: by a covenant hath such a people
recovered themselves, and regained their God. After the great apostasy
by Athaliah, Jehoiada renewed their interest by a covenant. When
Manasses and his son had suffered destruction from God, and advanced
idolatry with or above God; Josiah purged all by a covenant. Our decays
are evident, our corruptions destructive; our covenant therefore
seasonable. Come, let us engage our hearts to approach to God. 3. When
the enemy begins to fall, and God begins to shine upon His own. Asa
returning from a victory, called his land to a covenant. When Athaliah
was slain, the league was sworn, by Joash and his kingdom. Since this
motion of a covenant is come among us, God hath, as it were, begun to
draw near, in the siege of Gloucester raised, in the success at Newbery,
gained. God is worming out His and our adversaries, which He will do by
little and little, till they be consumed. The covenant is seasonable.
_Second_, The success. Come and see the works of the Lord, what wonders
He hath wrought, when a people hath thus bound themselves to be His. 1.
A king injuriously put from his right by an usurping hand, after such a
covenant was re-established, "He sat him down on the throne of the
kings." 2. A land miserably put from its peace, after such a covenant,
was re-settled, peace was re-obtained; and that as a fruit of prayer,
and so acknowledged, "Israel had sworn, and sought God; God was found of
them: and the Lord gave them rest round about." 3. Religion craftily,
and wickedly put from its purity after such a covenant, was reformed;
after such a reformation continued. The engagement being made, "all
Josiah's days they returned not back from the Lord God of their
fathers." 4. Rebels and rebellion, basely and bloodily backed and
managed against the Lord and His ways, against His people and their
practices; after such a covenant, have been overthrown and subdued, "I
will bring you into the bond of the covenant." Then I will sever from
among you the rebels; I will chase them from their own land, and hinder
that they shall not enter into the land of Israel. The Lord give this
success concerning Ireland, sever out the rebels there from true
subjects; chase them from their own land; and yet keep them from ever
entering into our land, the land of the inheritance of the Lord.
Now these successful effects of covenanting well minded,
_First_, May hint to us a satisfactory reason, in case peace comes not
presently. God hath some more adversaries to overthrow, to worm out; His
sword hath not eaten flesh enough; neither are His arrows drunk with
blood yet; with the blood of such earthly men, whom He hath appointed to
destruction. The hearts of the Philistines were so hardened, that they
never sought after peace, "For it came of the Lord, to the intent that
they might be utterly destroyed." Who knows, whether our peace hath been
denied; our propositions cast out; our treaties fruitless, for such an
end as this? It was of the Lord, who hath a purpose to destroy more. God
lays afflictions on His people, and they continue upon them; but in the
mean space to quiet their spirits, He teacheth them out of His law, that
these troubles must stay only "till a pit be digged for the wicked."
_Second_, May encourage us to go on. You have now armour of proof, such
armour as is not ordinary, armed with a covenant: Go, saith the angel to
Gideon, in this thy might. Go (say I, to every one) in this thy might,
the strength of this thy covenant, and the effect will be such, as is
not ordinary. When the Philistines perceived that the Israelites had
brought the ark of the covenant into the battle, they cried out, "Woe
unto us; for it hath not been so heretofore: woe unto us; who shall
deliver us out of the hands of these mighty gods?" When your enemies
shall perceive, that you come armed with the armour of a covenant with
God, I hope they, struck with amazement, shall cry, "Woe unto us; we
were never so opposed before: woe unto us; who shall deliver us out of
the power of this mighty prevailer?" If it will thus daunt, take it with
you, be strong. Again, I say, Go in the might thereof, and God shall
prosper thee for ever.
III. _Satisfactory._ According to the condition of the person, such is
the nature of the objection. One out of the malignity of his spirit,
cavils against the work; another out of tenderness of conscience,
scruples the taking. I shall briefly touch upon one or two, and wind up
all in a few words. The queries I have met with, are such as these: two
objections when I was designed to this service, were sent me in writing,
which, when thoroughly viewed, I perceived nothing at all to concern our
case, or covenant.
_Obj._ 1. Whether by any law, divine or human, may reformation of
religion be brought in by arms? _Ans._ 1. What is this at all to the
covenant, where there is no mention of arms at all? 2. What is this to
our present condition, where reforming by arms is not at all the
question? For if reformation of religion be the case of our affairs;
then either the parliament are they that do it, or the cavaliers: not
the cavaliers, for they are on the defensive: witness all their
declarations. Not the parliament, for then the cavaliers will be found
fighters against religion, and resisters of God. 3. I answer negatively,
it is not. The sword is not the means which God hath ordained to
propagate the gospel: "Go and teach all nations;" not, go and subdue all
nations, is our Master's precept.
_Obj._ 2. Whether to swear to a government that shall be, or to swear
not to dissent from such a future government, be not to swear upon an
implicit faith? _Ans._ 1. This is nothing to the covenant, neither can I
see upon what ground any should raise such an impertinent scruple. 2. It
is, he that so swears, swears upon an implicit faith: for one reason
against the articles of the prelates was, that they forced us to swear
to the homilies that shall be set out. But these things are extravagant.
Other objections by word of mouth have been propounded, some whereof I
will here touch upon.
_Obj._ 1. One would make a stand at the phrase, [in our callings,] as if
some politic mystery were therein involved, and would have it changed,
[according to our callings, or so far forth as they extend.] There is an
identity in the phrase, an action enjoined to be done in such a place,
every corner, as far as that place extends, is that place, and no other.
All is one.
_Obj._ How if the parliament should hereafter see a convenience in
prelacy for this kingdom, were not this oath then prejudicial, either to
the parliament's liberty, or kingdom's felicity? _Ans._ This objection
supposes,
_First_, That the most wicked antichristian government may be a lawful
government in point of conscience.
_Second_, That it is possible, that this prelatical government may be
convenient for a state or kingdom. When as 1. They have been burdensome
in all ages; what opposites in England have they been to our kings, till
their interests were changed? 2. All reformed religions in the world
have expelled them, as incompatible with reformation. 3. They have set
three kingdoms together by the ears, for the least, and worst of causes,
which now lie weltering in their own blood, ready to expire. 4.
Experience now shows, there is no inconvenience in their want; either in
Scotland, or in England.
_Obj._ But what, if the exorbitances be purged away, may not I,
notwithstanding my oath, admit of a regulated prelacy? _Ans._ 1. We
swear not against a government that is not. 2. We swear against the
evils of every government; and doubtless many materials of prelacy must
of necessity be retained, as absolutely necessary. 3. Taking away the
exorbitances, the remaining will be a new government, and no prelacy.
_Obj._ For the discovery of all malignants, all that have been; whether,
if I have a friend, that hath been a malignant, and is now converted, am
I bound to discover him? _Ans._ This his malignity, was either before
the covenant, or since; if before, no. For then this league had no
being, and a _non-ens_ can have no contrariety. If since, the discovery
must be at the first appearance of malignity, whilst he is so.
_Obj._ What if one make a party to uphold prelacy, whilst it stands by
law, must I oppose him, or discover him by virtue of this oath? Doth the
oath bind me to oppose legal acts? _Ans._ i. Quer. Whether there be any
particular law for prelacy? 2. Quer. Whether the making a party be
legal? 3. Quer. Whether any thing, the extirpation of which is sworn by
an ordinance of parliament, can be said to stand by law?
These are some queries I have met with. I heartily wish that the same
tenderness of conscience in all things may be seen, which if not, it
will hardly be called a scruple of tenderness, but a cavil of malignity.
What now remains but only prayers, that the great God of our judgments
and consciences, would so clear and satisfy our souls in these leagues
and bonds, that without reluctancy we may all swear to God, and, having
sworn, we may have a care to keep the oath inviolable; that as once
Israel, so all England may rejoice because of the oath: and God may be
established, and His kingdom settled; that His presence may dwell among
men, and His protection among the sons of men; that He may be near in
our covenanting, found in our prayers, and give us rest; and that we
being engaged, may live to Him, and not to others, henceforth and for
ever.
THE SOLEMN LEAGUE AND COVENANT:
SERMON AT WESTMINSTER.
_BY JOSEPH CARYL.[12]_
"And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our
princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it."
--_Nehemiah_ ix. 38.
The general subject of this verse, is the special business of this day.
A solemn engagement to the Lord, and among ourselves, in a sure
covenant. Wherein we may consider these five things.
_First_, The nature of a covenant, from the whole.
_Secondly_, The grounds of a covenant, from those words, "because of all
this."
_Thirdly_, The property of a covenant, in that epithet, Sure--"we make a
sure covenant."
_Fourthly_, The parties entering into, and engaging themselves in a
covenant, expressed by their several degrees and functions, Princes,
Levites, priests. And were these all? All whom this verse specifies, and
enow to bring in all the rest? Where the governors and the teachers go
before in an holy example, what honest heart will not follow? And the
next chapter shews us, all who were honest hearted, following this holy
example, verse 28: "And the rest of the people, the priests, the
Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had
separated themselves from the people of the lands, unto the law of God,
their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having
knowledge, and having understanding: They clave unto their brethren,
their nobles, and entered into," &c.
_Fifthly_, The outward acts by which they testified their inward sincere
consent, and engaged themselves to continue faithful in that covenant:
First, writing it. Second, sealing to it. Third, (in the tenth chapter,
ver. 29.) "They entered into a curse." Fourth, "Into an oath, to walk in
God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe
to do all the commandments of the Lord their God, with the statutes and
judgments. And that they would not give their daughters to the people of
the land," &c: with divers many articles of that covenant, tending both
to their ecclesiastical and civil reformation.
I begin with the first point, the nature of a covenant. Concerning
which, we may receive some light from the notation of the original
words; 1. For a covenant. 2. For the making of a covenant. The Hebrew
_Berith (a covenant)_ comes from _Barah_, which signifieth two things:
_First_, To choose exactly, and judiciously. _Second_, To eat
moderately, or sparingly. And both these significations of the root
_Barah_, have an influence upon this derivative _Berith_, a covenant:
the former of these intimating, if not enforcing, that a covenant is a
work of sad and serious deliberation, for such are elective acts.
Election is, or ought to be made, upon the rational turn of judgment,
not upon a catch of fancy, or the hurry of our passions.
Now, in a covenant, there is a double work of election: _First_, An
election of the persons, between whom. _Second_, An election of the
conditions, or terms upon which the covenant is entered. As God's
covenant people are His chosen people, so must ours. Some persons will
not enter into covenant, though invited; and others, though they offer
themselves, are not to be admitted. They who are not fit to build with
us, are not fit to swear with us. Some offered their help to the Jews in
the repair of the temple, "Let us build with you, for we seek your God."
But this tender of their service was refused. "Ye have nothing to do
with us, to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will
build." What should we do with their hands in the work, whose hearts, we
know, are not in the work? The intendment of such enjoining, must be
either to build their hay and stubble with our gold and silver, or else
to pull down by night what they build by day, and secretly to undermine
that noble fabric, which seemingly they endeavoured to set up. We find
in this book of Nehemiah, that the persons combining in that covenant,
were choice persons. The text of the tenth chapter, sets two marks of
distinction upon them. _First_, "All they that separated themselves from
the people of the lands, unto the law of God." _Second_, All "having
knowledge, and having understanding." Here are two qualifications,
whereof one is spiritual, and the other is natural. The plain English of
both may be this, "that fools and malignants, such as (in some measure)
know not the cause, and such as have no love at all to the cause, should
be outcasts from this covenant." Such sapless and rotten stuff will but
weaken, if not corrupt this sacred band.
The tenor of the covenant now tendered, speaks thus respecting the
persons. "We noblemen, barons, knights, gentlemen, citizens, burgesses,
ministers of the gospel, and commons, of all sorts, in the kingdom of
England, Scotland, and Ireland." And doth not this indistinctly admit
all, and all, of all sorts? I answer, no. For the words following in
the preface, shew expressly, that only they are called to it, who are of
one reformed religion; which shuts out all papists, till they return.
And the articles pass them through a finer sieve, admitting only such as
promise, yea, and swear, that through the grace of God, they will
sincerely, really, and constantly endeavour the preservation of the
reformed religion, against the common enemy in the one kingdom, the
reformation and extirpation of what is amiss in the other two; as also,
in their own persons, families, and relations. They who do thus, are
choice persons indeed, and they who swear to do thus, are (in charity
and justice) to be reputed so, till their own acts and omissions falsify
their oaths. Thus our covenant makes an equivalent, though not a formal
or nominal election of the persons.
_Second_, There must be a choice of conditions in a covenant; as the
persons obliged, so the matter of the obligation must be distinct. This
is so eminent in the covenant offered, that I may spare my pains in the
clearing of it; every man's pains in reading of it, cannot but satisfy
him, that there are six national conditions about which we make solemn
oath, and one personal, about which we make a most solemn profession and
declaration, before God and the world. And all these are choice
conditions: such as may well be held forth to be (as indeed they are)
the results and issues of many prayers, and serious consultations, in
both the kingdoms of England and Scotland. Conditions they are, in which
holiness and wisdom, piety and policy, zeal for God in purging His
church, and care for man in settling the commonwealth, appear to have
had (in a due subordination) their equal hand and share.
Thus much of a covenant, from the force of the word in the first sense,
leading us to the choice both of persons and conditions.
_Second_, The root signifies, to eat moderately, or so much as breaks
our fast. And this refers also to the nature of a covenant, which is to
draw men into a friendly and holy communion, and converse one with
another. "David describes a familiar friend, in whom he trusted, to be
one, that did eat of his bread." And the apostle Paul, when he would
have a scandalous brother denied all fellowship in church-covenant, he
charges it thus, "With such a one, no not to eat." Hence it was a custom
upon the making up of covenants, for the parties covenanting, soberly to
feast together. "When Isaac and Abimelech sware one to another, and made
a covenant; the sacred story tells us, that Isaac made them a feast, and
they did eat and drink." A covenant is a binder of affection, to assure
it, but it is a loosner of affection, to express it. And their hearts
are most free to one another, which are most bound to one another. How
unbecoming is it, that they who swear together, should be so strange as
scarce to speak together? That which unites, ought also to multiply our
affections.
Further, the word hints so to converse together as not to sin together;
for it signifies moderation in eating. As if it would teach us, that at
a covenant-feast, or when covenanters feast, they should have more
grace, than meat at their tables: or if (through the blessing of God)
their meat be much, their temperance should be more. The covenant yields
us much business, and calls to action: excess soils our gifts, and damps
our spirits, fitting us for sleep, not for work. In and by this
covenant, we (who were almost carried into spiritual and corporal
slavery) are called to strive for the mastery. Let us therefore (as this
word and the apostle's rule instruct us) "Be temperate in all things."
Intemperate excessive eaters will be but moderate workers, especially in
covenant-work. A little will satisfy their consciences, who are given up
to satisfy their carnal appetites. And he who makes his belly his god,
will not make much of the glory of God.
So much concerning the nature of a covenant, from the original word;
for a covenant, signifying both to chuse, and to eat. We may take in
some further light to discover the things from the original word, which
we translate "make"--"Let us make a covenant."
That word signifies properly to cut, to strike, or to slay. The reason
hereof is given, because at the making of solemn covenants, beasts were
killed and divided asunder, and the covenant-makers went between the
parts. When God made that first grand covenant with Abraham, He said
unto him, "Take an heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three
years old. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the
midst, and laid all those pieces one against another." "Behold, a
smoking furnace, and a burning lamp" (which latter was the token of
God's presence for the deliverance of His people) passed between those
pieces. In Jeremiah we have the like ceremony in making a covenant,
"They cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof." Upon
this usage the phrase is grounded of cutting or striking a covenant.
Which ceremony had this signification in it, that when they passed
between those divided parts of the slain beast, the action spake this
curse or imprecation, "Let him be cut asunder, let his members be
divided, let him be made as this beast, who violates the oath of this
covenant."
From these observations about the words, we may be directed about the
nature of the thing: and thence collect this description of a covenant.
A covenant is a solemn compact or agreement between two chosen parties
or more, whereby with mutual, free, and full consent they bind
themselves upon select conditions, tending to the glory of God, and
their common good.
A covenant strictly considered, is more than a promise, and less than an
oath; unless an oath be joined with it, as was with that in the text,
and is with this we have now before us. A covenant differs from a
promise gradually, and in the formalities of it, not naturally, or in
the substance of it. God made promises to Abraham, Gen. xii. and Gen.
xiii. but He made no covenant with him, till chap. xv. ver. 18. "In that
day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham." And the work of the Lord in
that day with Abraham, had not only truth and mercy in it, but state and
majesty in it. A covenant day, is a solemn day. As the collection of
many stars makes a constellation, so the collection of many promises
makes a covenant. Or, as in the first of Genesis, "The gathering
together of the waters, was by the Lord called seas:" so we may call the
gathering together of promises, or conditions, a covenant. The Lord doth
(as it were) rally all the promises of mercy made to us, which lie
scattered up and down through the whole volume of the scriptures, and
puts them together into a covenant: and we do (as it were) rally all the
promises of duty which we owe unto God, and to one another, and put them
together in a covenant. Such a bundle of duty is tied up in this present
covenant; what duty is there which we owe to God, to His churches, or
these commonwealths whereof we make not promise, either expressly, or by
consequence in the compass of this covenant? And how great an obligation
to duly doth this contain, wherein there is an obligation to every duty?
Seeing then this covenant, being taken, carries in it so great an
obligation, it calls for great preparation before we take it. A
slightness of spirit in taking this covenant, must needs cause a
slightness of spirit in keeping it. All solemn duties, ought to have
solemn preparations; and this I think, as solemn as any. A Christian
ought to set his heart (as far as he can through the strength of Christ)
into a praying frame, before he kneels down to prayer. And we ought to
set our hearts in a promising frame, before we stand up to make such
mighty promises. "Take heed how ye hear," is our Saviour's admonition in
the gospel; surely then we had need take heed how we swear. "Let a man
examine himself (saith the apostle Paul) and so let him eat of that
bread, and drink of that cup;" let him come examined to the sacrament:
so I may say, "Let a man examine himself, before he lift up his hand, or
write down his name;" let him come examined to the covenant.
I shall briefly propose three heads of preparatory examination,
respecting our entrance into this covenant.