than visible; and if we cannot deliver ourselves from them, when they
are seen and known, doubtless unseen and unknown, they will more easily,
tho' more insensibly devour us. And I verily believe, we have already
received more damage and deeper wounds from pretended friends, than
from professed and open enemies. The sad stories of Abner and Amasa
inform us, that there is no fence against his stroke, who comes too near
us, who stabs while he takes us aside to speak kindly to us, who draws
his sword, while he hath a kiss at his lips, and art thou in health, my
brother, at his tongue. Let us never think ourselves stronger, because
we do not know our weakness; or safer, because we are ignorant of our
danger. Or that our real enemies and false friends will do us less hurt,
because they are less discovered. I do not think, that a flock ever
fared the better, because the wolves that were amongst them, went in
sheep's clothing. Rather will our knowledge be our security, and the
discovery which this covenant makes, help on both our deliverance and
our business. For as, possibly, this covenant may discover those who are
faithful to be fewer, than was supposed before this strict distinction
from others; so it will certainly make them stronger than they were
before, by a stricter union among themselves. And this is
2. The second benefit of this covenant, which I shall next insist upon.
As it doth separate those who are heterogeneal, so likewise it will
congregate and embody those who are homogeneal. And therefore it cannot
but add strength unto a people; for whatsoever unites, strengthens. A
few united, are stronger than a scattered multitude. Tho' they who
subscribe this covenant should be, comparatively, so few, as the prophet
speaks, "That a child may write them;" yet this few thus united are
stronger than so many scattered ones, as exceed all arithmetic, whom (as
John speaks,) "No man can number." Cloven tongues were sent, to publish
the gospel, but not divided tongues, much less divided hearts: the
former hindered the building of Babel, and the latter, tho' tongues
should agree, will hinder the building of Jerusalem. Then a work goes on
amain, when the undertakers, whether they be few or many, all speak and
think the same thing. A people are more considerable in any work,
because they are one, than because they are many. But when many and one
meet, nothing can stand before them. So the Lord God observed, when "He
came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men
builded." And the Lord said, "Behold, the people is one, and they have
all one language: and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be
restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." Men may do as
much as they can think, while they all think and do as one; and not only
can such do great things, if let alone; but none can let them in doing
what they intend; so saith the Lord, "They have begun to do, and nothing
will be restrained from them, which they have imagined." Nothing could
restrain, or let them from their work, but His power, who "will work,
and none can let it." Thus it is apparent that union is our strength.
And it is as apparent that this covenant, through the blessing of God
upon it, will be our union. To unite, is the very nature of a covenant.
Hence it is called "the bond of the covenant, I will bring you into the
bond of the covenant," saith the Lord. Junius and some others render it,
I will bring you _(ad exhibitionem foederis)_ to the giving or tendering
of the covenant: deriving the word from _Masar_, signifying, to exhibit
or deliver. Whence (to note that in passage) the traditionary doctrine
among the Jews is called _Masora_, or _Masoreth_. Others (whom our
translators fellow, and put the former sense, delivering, in the margin)
others, I say, deriving the word from _Asar_ to bind, render it the bond
of the covenant.
And this covenant is the bond of a twofold union. _First_, It unites us
of this kingdom among ourselves, and this kingdom with the other two.
_Second_, It makes a special union of all those who shall take it holily
and sincerely throughout the three kingdoms with the one-most God. Weak
things bound together, are strong, much more then, when strong are bound
up with strong: most of all, when strong are bound up with Almighty. If
in this covenant, we should only join weak to weak, we might be strong.
But, blessed be God, we join strong, as creatures may be accounted
strong, with strong. The strong kingdoms of England and Ireland, with
the strong kingdom of Scotland. A threefold cord twisted of three such
strong cords, will not easily, if at all, be broken. They which single,
blessed be God, have yet such strength, how strong may they be when
conjoined? as the apostle writes, "I speak after the manner of men,
because of the infirmity of your flesh:" so I speak now after the manner
of men, concerning the strength of our flesh, outward means, in these
kingdoms. For as the apostle Peter speaks in like phrase, tho' to
another occasion, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some
men count slackness:" so I may say, no man, no kingdoms, are strong to
any purpose, as the Lord counts strength.
And therefore, I reckon this the least part of our strength, that these
three strong kingdoms will be united by this covenant. Nay, if this were
all the strength, which this union were like to make, I should reckon
this no strength at all. Wherefore, know that this covenant undoubtedly
is, and will be a bond of union between strong and Almighty: between
three strong nations, and an Almighty God. This covenant engages more
than man, God also is engaged; engaged, through His free grace, in His
power, wisdom, faithfulness, to do us good, and much good, tho' in and
of ourselves unworthy of the least, unworthy of any good.
All this considered, this covenant will be our strength: our brethren of
Scotland have, in a plentiful experience, found it so already. This
covenant, thro' the blessing of God upon their councils and endeavours,
hath been their Samson's lock, the thing in fight, wherein their
strength lieth. And why should not we hope, that it will be ours; if we
can be wise, as they, to prevent or overcome the flattering enticements
of those Delilahs who would lull us asleep in their laps, only for an
opportunity to cut or shave it off? Then indeed, which God forbid, we
should be but weak like other men, yea, weaker than ourselves were
before this lock was grown, having but the strength of man; God utterly
departing from us, for our falseness and unfaithfulness in this
covenant.
3. This covenant observed will make us an holy people, and then, we
cannot be an unhappy people. That which promotes personal holiness, must
needs promote national holiness. The consideration that we are in the
bonds of a covenant, is both a bridle to stop us from sin, and a spur to
duty. When we provoke God to bring evil upon us, He stays His hand by
considering His covenant. "I will remember My covenant, saith the Lord,
which is between Me, and you; and every living creature of all flesh;
and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." As if
the Lord had said, It is more than probable, that I shall quickly see as
much cause, "all flesh corrupting all their ways before Me," to drown
the world with a second deluge, as I did for the first: the foulness of
the world, will quickly call for another washing. But I am resolved,
never to destroy it by water again; for, "I will remember My covenant."
Hence also in the second book of the Chronicles, chap. xxi. where the
reign and sins of Jehoram are recorded; such sins as might justly put a
sword into the hand of God to cut him off root and branch; howbeit,
saith the text, "The Lord would not destroy the house of David, because
of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He promised to give
a light to him, and to his sons forever." Now, as the remembrance of the
covenant on His part, stays the hand of God from smiting; so the
remembrance of the covenant on our part, will be very effectual to stay
our hands, and tongues, and hearts from sinning. A thought of that will
damp and silence our lusts and passions, when they begin to move or
quest within us: it will also break the blow of Satan's temptations,
when he assaults us. The soul in such cases will answer, True, I am now
as strongly tempted to sin as ever, I have now as fair an opportunity to
commit sin as ever, I could now be false to, and desert this cause with
as much advantage, upon as fair hopes and promises as ever: O! but I am
in covenant, I remember my covenant, I will not, I cannot do it; and so
he falls a praying against the temptation: yea, he begs prayers of
others, that he may be strengthened against, and overcome it. I read you
an instance of this effect. Before the sermon, a paper is sent to this
congregation, containing this request: "One who through much passion
oftentimes grievously offends the Majesty of God by cursing and
swearing, and that since his late taking the covenant, desires the
prayers of this congregation, that his offence may be pardoned, and that
he may be enabled to overcome that temptation from henceforwards." This
is the tenor of that request, to a letter and a tittle, and therein you
see how the remembrance of the covenant wrought. Probably this party
(whosoever he was) took little notice of, or was little troubled at the
notice of these distempers in himself before; least of all sought out
for help against them. And I have the rather inserted this to confute
that scorn which, I hear, some have since put upon that conscientious
desire. As if one had complained, that since his swearing to the
covenant he could not forbear swearing, and that this sacred oath had
taught him profane ones. But what holy thing is there which swine will
not make mire of, for themselves to wallow in? I return; and I nothing
doubt, but that this covenant, wherein all is undertaken through the
grace of Christ, will make many more gracious who had grace before, and
turn others, who were running on amain in the broad way, from the evil
and error of their ways, into the way which is called holy, or into the
ways of holiness. Every act wherein we converse with an holy God, hath
an influence upon our spirits to make us holy. The soul is made more
holy in prayer, tho' holiness be not the particular matter of the
prayer: a man gets much of heaven into his heart, in praying for earthly
things, if he pray in a spiritual manner; and the reason is because, in
prayer, he hath converse with, and draws nigh to God, whatsoever lawful
thing he prays about. And the same reason carries it in covenanting,
tho' it were only about the maintenance of our outward estates and
liberties, forasmuch as therein we have to do with God. How much more
then will holiness be increased through this covenant which, in many
branches of it, is a direct covenant for, and about holiness? And if we
improve it home to this purpose, for the subduing of those mystical
Canaanites, those worst and indeed most formidable enemies, our sinful
lusts: if we improve it for the obtaining of more grace, and the making
of us more holy: tho' our visible Canaanites should not only continue
unsubdued by us, but subdue us; though our estates and liberties should
continue, not only unrecovered, but quite lost; tho' we should neither
be a rich, nor a free, nor a victorious people; yet if we are an holy
people, we have more than all these, we have all, He is ours, "Who is
all in all." So much of the first general part of the application.
The second is for admonition and caution, in three or four particulars.
1. Take heed of "profaning this covenant," by an unholy life. Remember
you have made a covenant with heaven; then do not live as if you had
made a "covenant with hell or were come to an agreement with death," as
the prophet Isaiah characters those monsters of profaneness. Take heed
also of "corrupting this covenant," by an unholy gloss. Wo be unto those
glossers that corrupt the text, pervert the meaning of these words: who
attempt to expound the covenant by their own practice, and will not
regulate their practice by the covenant. The apostle Peter speaks of
Paul's writings, "That in them some things are hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the
other scriptures, to their own destruction." We may fear, that tho' the
text of this covenant be easy to be understood, yet some (who, at least
think themselves learned), and whom we have found not only stable but
stiffened in their own erroneous principles and opinions, will be trying
their skill, if not their malice, to wrest, or, as the Greek imports, to
torture and set this covenant upon the rack, to make it speak and
confess a sense never intended by the composers, or proposers of it: and
whereof (if but common ingenuity be the judge) it never will, nor can be
found guilty. All that I shall say to such is that in the close of the
verse quoted from the apostle Peter, let them take heed such wrestings
be not (worst to themselves, even) to their own destruction.
2. Take heed of delaying to perform the duties of this covenant. Some, I
fear, who have made haste to take the covenant, will take leasure to act
it. It is possible, that a man may make too much haste (when he swears,
before he considers what it is) to take an oath; but, having taken it
upon due consideration, he cannot make too much haste to perform it. "Be
not rash with thy mouth," saith the preacher. That is, do not vow
rashly, but, "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it: for
He hath no pleasure in fools (slow performance is folly); pay that which
thou hast vowed." Speedy paying (like speedy giving) is double payment;
whereas slow payment is no payment or as bad as none, for it is foolish
payment. A bond, if I mistake not, is presently due in law, if no day be
specified in the bond. It is so I am sure in this covenant; here is no
day set down, and therefore all is due the same day you take it. God and
man may sue this bond presently for non-payment: the covenant gives no
day, and therefore requires the next day, every day. It is not safe to
take day for payment, when the obligation is _in terminis de præsenti_,
and none is given.
3. Take heed of dallying with this covenant. It is more than serious, a
sacred covenant. It is very dangerous jesting with edged tools. This
covenant is as keen as it is strong. Do not play fast and loose with it,
be not in and out with it; God is an avenger of all such: He is a
jealous God, and will not hold them guiltless, who thus take His name in
vain. They who swear by, or to the Lord, and swear by Malcham, are
threatened to be cut off. To be on both sides, and to be on no side;
neutrality and indifferency differ little, either in their sin or
danger.
4. Above all, take heed of apostatizing from, or an utter desertion of,
this covenant. To be deserted of God, is the greatest punishment, and to
desert God, is the greatest sin. When you have set your hands to the
plough, do not look back: remember Lot's wife. Besides the sin, this is,
_First_, Extremely base and dishonourable. It is one of the brands set
upon those Gentiles whom "God had given up to a reprobate mind, and to
vile affections," that they were covenant breakers. And how base is that
issue which is begotten between, and born from vile affections, and a
reprobate mind? where the parents are such, it is easy to judge what the
child must be. _Second_, Besides the sin and the dishonour, this is
extremely dangerous and destructive. We are said in the native speaking,
to cut a covenant, or to strike a covenant, when we make it; and if we
break the covenant when we have made it, it will both strike and cut us,
it will kill and slay us. If the cords of this covenant do not bind us,
the cords of this covenant will whip us; and whip us, not as with cords,
but as with scorpions. The covenant will have a quarrel with, and sends
out a challenge unto such breakers of it, for reparation. And (if I may
so speak) the great God will be its second. As God revenges the quarrel
of His own covenant, so likewise the quarrel of ours. He hath already
"Sent a sword to revenge the quarrel of His covenant." He will send
another to revenge the quarrel of this upon the wilful violators of it.
Yea, every lawful covenant hath a curse always waiting upon it, like a
marshal or a sergeant, to attack such high contemners of it. It was
noted before from the ceremony of killing, dividing, and passing between
the divided parts of a beast, when covenants were made, that the
imprecation of a curse upon the covenanters was implied, in case they
wilfully transgressed or revolted from it. Let the transgressors of, and
revolters from this covenant, fear and tremble at the same curse, even
the curse of a dreadful division: "That God will divide them and their
posterity in Jacob, and scatter them in our Israel; yea, let them fear,
that God will rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be
chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling
wind before the whirlwind. This is (their portion, and) the portion of
them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us." And if so, is not
their lot fallen in an unpleasant place? have they not a dreadful
heritage? to be under any curse is misery enough; but to be under a
covenant curse, is the greatest, is all misery. For as the blessings we
receive are most sweet, when they pass to us through the hands of a
covenant; a mercy from a promise is far better than a mercy from bare
Providence, because then it is sprinkled with the blood of Christ: so on
the other side, the curse which falls upon any one is far more bitter
when it comes through a covenant, especially an abused, a broken
covenant. When the fiery beams of God's wrath are contracted into this
burning glass, it will burn as low as hell, and none can quench it. That
alone which quenches the fire of God's wrath is the blood of Christ. And
the blood of Christ is the foundation of this covenant. Not only is
that covenant which God hath made with us founded in the blood of
Christ, but that also which we make with God. Were it not by the blood
of Christ, we could not possibly be admitted to so high a privilege.
Seeing then the blood of Christ only quenches the wrath of God, and this
blood is the foundation of our covenant, how shall the wrath of God
(except they repent, return and renew their covenant) be quenched
towards such violators of it? And, as our Saviour speaks upon another
occasion, "If the light which is in them be darkness, how great is that
darkness?" So, I say, if that which is our friend turn upon us as an
enemy, how great is that enmity; and if that which is our mercy be
turned into wrath, how great is that wrath, and who can quench it? It is
said of good king Josiah, that when he had made a covenant before the
Lord, "he caused all that were present in Jerusalem, and in Benjamin, to
stand to it." How far he interposed his regal authority, I stay not to
dispute. But he caused them to stand to it; that is openly to attest,
and to maintain it. Methinks the consideration of these things, should
reign over the hearts of men, and command in their spirits, more than
any prince can over the tongues or bodies of men, to cause them to stand
to this covenant. Ye that have taken this covenant, unless ye stand to
it, ye will fall by it. I shall shut up this point with that of the
apostle, "Take unto you the whole armour of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and, when ye have done all, to stand," (Eph.
vi. 13). Stand, and withstand, are the watchword of this covenant, or
the impress of every heart which hath or shall sincerely swear unto it.
For the helping of you to stand to this covenant, I shall cast in a few
advices about your walking in this covenant, or your carriage in it,
which, if followed, I dare say, through the mercy of the Most High, your
persons, these kingdoms, and this cause, shall not miscarry.
1. Walk in holiness and uprightness. When God renewed His covenant with
Abraham, He makes this the preamble of it, "I am the Almighty God, walk
before Me, and be thou perfect, and I will make My covenant between Me
and thee." As this must be a covenant of salt, in regard of
faithfulness; so there must be salt in this covenant, even the salt of
holiness and uprightness. The Jews were commanded in all their offerings
to use salt; and that is called the salt of the covenant, "Every
oblation of thy meat-offering shalt thou season with salt, neither shalt
thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking." What is
meant by salt on our parts, is taught us by Christ Himself, "Have salt
in yourselves, and have peace one with another." Which I take to be
parallel in sense with that of the apostle, "Follow peace with all men
and holiness." As salt, the shadow of holiness, was called for, in all
those Jewish services; so holiness, the true substantial salt, is called
for in all ours. As then it was charged, "Let not the salt of the
covenant of thy God be lacking:" so now it is charged, "Suffer not the
salt of thy covenant with God and His people to be lacking." Seeing we
have made a covenant of salt, that is, a sure covenant, let us remember
to keep salt in our covenant. Let us add salt to salt, our salt to the
Lord's salt, our salt of holiness to His salt of faithfulness, and we
shall not miscarry.
2. Walk steadily or stedfastly in this covenant. Where the heart is
upright and holy, the feet will be steady. Unstedfastness is a sure
argument of unsoundness, as well as a fruit of it. "Their heart was not
right with Him; neither were they stedfast in His covenant." As if He
had said, would you know the reason why this people were so unstedfast?
It was, because they were so unsound. "Their heart was not right with
Him." We often see the diseases of men's hearts breaking forth at their
lips, and at their finger ends, in all they say or do.
God will be steady to us; why should not we resolve to be so to Him? and
this covenant will be stedfast and uniform unto us, why should not we
resolve to be so too, and in this covenant? The covenant will not be our
friend to-day, and our enemy to-morrow, do us good to-day, and hurt
to-morrow, it will not be the fruitful this year, and barren the next;
but it is our friend to do us good to-day, and ever. It is fruitful and
will be so for ever. We need not let it lie fallow, we cannot take out
the heart of it, tho' we should have occasion to plough it, and sow it
every year. Much less will this covenant be so unstedfast to its own
principles, as to yield us wheat to-day, and cockle to-morrow, an egg
to-day, and to-morrow a scorpion; now bread, and anon a stone; now give
us an embrace, and anon a wound; now help on our peace, and anon embroil
us; now prosper our reformation, and anon oppose, or hinder it;
strengthen us this year, and weaken us the next. No, as it will never be
barren, so it will ever bring forth the same fruit, and that good fruit;
and the more and the longer we use it, the better fruit. Like the
faithful wife, "It will do us good, and not evil, all the days of its
life." It is therefore, not only sinful, but most unsuitable and
uningenuous, for us to be up and down, forward and backward, liking and
disliking, like that double minded man, "Unstable in all our ways,"
respecting the duties of this covenant.