unchangeable God, come furnished with and maintain upon your hearts, an
abundant measure of self-distrust; labour to be thoroughly convinced of
your own nothingness and disability. "By his own strength shall no man
prevail." Surely, thine own treachery may inform thee, and thine own
backslidings may convince thee, to confess with Jeremiah, "O Lord, I
know (I know it by sad experience) the way of man is not in himself: It
is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Staupitius confessed to
Luther, that he thought in his very conscience he had above a thousand
times renewed his covenant with God, and as many times broken it: a sad
confession, and yet how many among us may take up the like lamentation!
Be convinced of it, I beseech you, and maintain the sense of this
conviction upon your spirits. Say oft within yourself, I am nothing,
worse than nothing. This treacherous heart of mine will betray me into
the breach of my covenant, if the Lord leave me to myself, I shall one
day fall by the hand of my corruptions. He that walks tremblingly, walks
safely.
In the _Fourth_ place, be often renewing your resolutions. It was the
exhortation of that good man to the new converts at Antioch, where they
were first called Christians, "that they should cleave unto the Lord
with full purpose of heart." This covenant, I have shewed you, is the
ordinance whereby you cleave unto the Lord, the joining ordinance. Oh!
do it with full purpose of heart, and be often putting on fresh and
frequent resolutions, not to suffer every base temptation of Satan,
every deceitful, or malignant solicitation of the world, every foolish
and carnal suggestion of the flesh, to bribe and seduce you from that
fidelity which you swear this day to Jesus Christ and the kingdoms. A
well grounded resolution is half the work, and the better half too; for
he that hath well resolved, hath conquered his will; and he that hath
conquered his will, hath overcome the greatest difficulty: no such
difficulty in spiritual things, as to prevail with one's own heart. With
these cords, therefore, of well bottomed resolutions, be oft binding
yourselves to your covenant, as once Ulysses did himself to his mast,
that you may not be bewitched by any Syrenian song of the flesh, world,
or the devil, to violate your holy covenant, and drown yourselves in a
sea of perdition. And to that end, it would not be altogether useless,
to fix your covenant in some place of your houses, or bed-chamber, where
it may be oftenest in your eyes, to admonish you of your religious and
solemn engagements, under which you have brought your own souls. The
Jews had their "phylacteries, or borders upon their garments," which
they did wear also upon their heads, and upon their arms; which, tho'
they abused afterward, not only to pride, making them broader than their
first size or pattern, in ostentation and boasting of their holiness,
our Saviour condemns in the scribes and pharisees. And to superstition,
for they used them as superstitious helps in prayer, which they coloured
under a false derivation of the word in the Hebrew, yet God indulged
them in this ceremony, as an help for their memories, to put them in
remembrance to keep the law of the Lord. And God Himself seems to use
this art of memory, as it were, when, comforting His people, He tells
them, "behold I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands, thy walls
are continually before Me."
I must confess, the nature of man is very prone to abuse and pervert
such natural helps to idolatry and superstition. This instance of the
Jews, wretchedly improving their phylacteries to superstitious purposes,
their idolizing of the brazen serpent; and thereby of a cure, turning it
into a plague, a snare, with the like, are sufficient testimonies. And
we see how the papists have abused and adulterated the lawful use of
natural mediums, to the unlawful use of artificial mediums of their own
inventions; images and crucifixes, first to help their memories, and
stir up their devotions in their prayers, and then to pray unto them, as
mediums of divine worship. The more cautious had Christians need be in
the use of those mediums, which either God hath ordained by special
command for the help of our memories, and stirring up of our graces, as
the visible elements in the sacraments; or such natural advantages,
which moral equity allows us for the help of our understandings and
memories in spiritual concernments; such is this, we are now speaking
of; it being the same with the use of books and tables. Tertullian tells
us of a superstitious custom among the ancient Christians, that they
were wont to set up images over their doors and chimneys, to keep
witches when they came into their houses from bewitching their children;
and so by a little kind of witchcraft, prevented witchcraft. But surely,
to set up this covenant, where we might often see and read what
engagements we have laid upon our souls, (and I could heartily wish
Christians would do it at least once a week) it will be an innocent and
warrantable spell, to render the witchery of the flesh, world, and
devil, fruitless and ineffectual upon our spirits, while the soul may
say with David, "Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praise unto
Thee."
But _Fifthly_, consider often and seriously, who it is that must uphold
your resolutions; even He that upholds heaven and earth: no less power
will do it; "for you are kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation." It is God that first gives the resolution, and then must
uphold, and bring it into act; "It is God that worketh in you, both to
will and to do of His good pleasure," and therefore labour, I beseech
you, to do these two things.
_First_, Put all your resolutions into the hands of prayer: David was a
man of an excellent spirit, full of holy resolves. "I will walk in mine
integrity," "And I will keep Thy testimonies." And again, "I have sworn,
and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments." And
yet again, "do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee?" "I hate them
with a perfect hatred." A thousand such sweet resolutions doth that
precious servant of God breathe out all along the Psalms; and yet so
jealous the holy man is of himself, that he never trusts himself with
his own resolutions; and therefore shall you find him always clapping a
petition upon a resolution, as in the quoted places. "I will walk in
mine integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. I will keep Thy
testimonies, oh! forsake me not utterly." Though Thou hast let me fall
fearfully, suffer me not to fall finally. And so when he had said, "I
have sworn, and will not repent," he presently adds (within a word or
two), "quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy word." And again, "accept, I
beseech Thee, the free-will offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me
Thy judgments." God must teach him, as to make, so to make good the
free-will offerings of his mouth, _i.e._, his promises and vows. And so,
when he had made that appeal to God, "do not I hate them that hate Thee,
Lord?" he presently betakes himself to his prayers, "search me, O God,
and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Mark, I pray,
"search me, try me, know my heart, know my thoughts, see whether there
be any wicked way, lead me." He will neither trust himself for what he
is, nor for what he shall be; "try me," he dares not trust his own
trial: "lead me," he dares not trust his own resolutions: such a sweet
holy jealousy of himself doth he breathe forth, with all his heavenly
purposes and resolutions. Oh! all you that would make an everlasting
covenant with God, imitate holy David, upon every holy resolution, clap
an earnest petition, say, I will reform my life; oh! redeem me, and be
merciful unto me. I will set up Christ in my heart, I will labour to
walk worthy of Him in my life: oh! forsake me not utterly, Lord; leave
me not to myself, I have sworn, and am utterly purposed in all my duties
I owe to God and man, to amend my life, and to go before others in the
example of a real reformation. O Lord, teach me Thy judgments: quicken
me, O Lord, according to Thy word. Thy vows are upon me, that I will,
according to my place and calling, endeavour to preserve reformation in
Scotland, to procure reformation in England; that I will in like manner
endeavour the extirpation of popery and prelacy; to preserve the rights
and liberties of parliaments; discover incendiaries; endeavour the
preservation of peace between the two kingdoms; defend all those that
enter into this league and covenant, that I will never make defection to
the contrary part, or to give myself to a detestable indifferency or
neutrality. And this covenant I have made in the presence of Almighty
God, the searcher of all hearts, with a true intention to perform the
same, as I shall answer at that great day. But now, add with David,
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts, and
see if there be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting." In a word, put your covenant into frequently renewed
resolutions: resolutions into prayer, and prayer, and all into the hands
of God. It is God that must gird thee with strength, to perform all thy
vows. This, the close of this blessed covenant, into which we enter this
day, doth teach us. "Humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by His
Spirit; for this end, and to bless our desires and proceedings." And the
covenant in the text, was surely inlaid with prayer, while they engage
themselves to seek the Lord, not only to shew them the way to Zion, but
to give them strength to walk in that way.
Let it be your wisdom and piety, my brethren, to imitate both; oh pray,
and be much in prayer, and be often in prayer: pray daily over the
covenant; as you this day lift up your hands to swear to the most high
God in this covenant, so lift up your hands every day to pray to that
God for grace to keep this covenant. Let sense of self-insufficiency
keep open the sluice of prayer, that that may let fresh streams of
strength every day into your souls, to make good your vows; when you be
careless to pray over the covenant, you will be careless to keep the
covenant; when you cease to pray, you will cease to pay. If you will be
watchful in praying over your vows, prayer will make you watchful in
paying your vows. If you will be faithful in crying to God, God will be
faithful in hearing and helping. Pray therefore, pray over every good
purpose and resolution of heart towards the covenant of God which
conscience shall suggest, or the Spirit of God shall breathe into your
bosoms, at this present or any time hereafter; as David once prayed over
that good frame of spirit, which he observed in his people; what time
they offered so willingly and liberally to the preparing for the house
of God; "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob, our fathers, keep
this for ever, in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart, and
prepare their heart unto Thee." To every command, God is pleased to add
a promise; so that what is a command in one place, is a promise in
another. "Circumcise the foreskin of your heart." But it is a promise,
"The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy
seed to love the Lord." Again, "make you a new heart." So saith the word
of command: "a new heart will I give you:" so speaks the word of
promise. Once more, "little children abide in Him," that is the command.
Which in the immediate verse before is a gracious promise, "you shall
abide in Him." Divers more such instances I could give you; and why
thus? Surely, the command teacheth us our duty, the promise our weakness
and insufficiency to perform that duty. The command finds us work; the
promise finds us strength: the command is to keep us from being idle;
the promise to keep us from being discouraged. Well, let us imitate God,
and, as He couples a command and a promise, so let us couple a
resolution and a petition. As God seconds and backs His command with His
promise, so let us second and back our promises with our prayers; the
one in sense of our duty, the other in sense of our weakness; by the
one, to bring our hearts up to God: by the other, to bring God down to
our hearts: resolve and petition, promise and pray, and the Lord
"prepare your heart to pray, and cause His ear to hear."
_Secondly_, Since God only must uphold your desires, walk continually as
in His presence; stability is only to be found in the presence of God;
so far we live an unchangeable life, as we walk and live in the presence
of an unchangeable God. The saints in Heaven know no vicissitudes, or
changes in their holy frame and temper of spirit, because they are
perfected in the beholding of His face; "with whom is no variableness,
nor shadow of changing:" and so far as the saints on earth can keep God
in their presence so far the presence of God will keep them. "I have set
the Lord always before me; and because He is at my right hand, therefore
I shall not be moved," sang David of himself literally, and in the
person of Christ typically: the privilege was made good to both, so far
as either made good the duty. David, according to his degree, and
proportion of grace, set God before him, placed Him on his right hand;
and so long as he could keep God's presence, the presence of God kept
him; it kept him from sin, "I have kept myself from mine iniquity." How
so? Why, "I was upright before Him," in the former part of the same
verse. So long as he walked before God, in God's presence; so long he
walked upright, and kept himself from his iniquity; or rather God's
presence kept him: and, as it kept him from sin, so it kept him from
fear also; "tho' I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I
will not fear." Mark what he saith, though he walk, not step; and walk
through, not step across; and through, not a dark entry, or a churchyard
in the night-time, but a valley, a large, long, vast place; how many
miles long I know not; and this not a valley of darkness only, but of
death, where he should see nothing but visions of death, and not bare
death, but the shadow of death: the shadow is the dark part of the
thing; so that the shadow of death, is the darkest side of death; death
in its most hideous and horrid representations; and yet behold, when he
comes out at the farther end, and a man would have thought to have found
him all in a cold sweat, his hair standing upright, his eyes set in his
head, and the man beside himself. Behold, I say, he doth not so much as
change colour, his hand shakes not, his heart fails not; as he went in,
he comes out; and though he should go back again the same way, he tells
you, "I will not fear." How comes this to pass? How comes the man to be
so undaunted? Why, he will tell you in the very same verse, speaking to
God, "For Thou art with me." God's presence kept him from fear, in the
midst of death and horror. Thus it was, I say, with David, while he
could keep God in his presence, he was immoveable, impregnable; you
might as soon have stirred a rock, as stirred him, "I shall not be
moved." Indeed, so long as he was upon the rock, he was as immoveable as
the rock itself; but alas! sometime he lost the sight of his God, and
then he was like other men; "Thou didst hide Thy face from me, and I was
troubled." When God hid His face from him, or he hid his eyes from God;
then how easily is he moved? Fear breaks in, "I shall one day fall by
the hand of Saul." Sin breaks in, yea, one sin upon the heels of
another; the adulterous act, upon the adulterous look, and murder upon
adultery, as you know in that sad business of Uriah the Hittite; once
off from his Rock, and he is as weak as dust, not able to stand before
the least temptation of sin or fear; and therefore as soon as he comes
to himself again, he cries, "Oh! lead me to the Rock that is higher than
I;" to my Rock, Lord, to my Rock. But now, the Lord Jesus, the antitype
of David here in this Psalm, because he made good this, (duty shall I
call it?) "For in Him dwelt the fulness of the God-head bodily." To Him
therefore was this privilege made good perfectly in the highest degree;
for tho' He had temptations that never man had, and was to do that which
never man did; and to suffer that which never man suffered; the
contradiction of sinners; the rage of hell; and the wrath of God: yet,
because He set the Lord always at His right hand; yea, indeed was always
at the right hand of God; therefore He was not moved, but overcame even
by suffering.
Beloved, you see where stability in covenant is to be had; even in the
presence of God. Labour, I beseech you, to walk in His presence, and to
set Him always at your right hand; behold, it shall keep you, so that
you shall not be moved; or, if you be moved, you shall not be removed;
if you stumble you shall not fall; or, if you fall, you shall not fall
away; you shall rise again. There is a double advantage in it. _First_,
It will keep your hearts in awe; he that sets God in his presence, dares
not sin in His presence: "God sees," will make the heart say, "How shall
I do this great evil, and sin against God?" _Secondly_, There is joy in
it; "In Thy presence is fulness of joy." It is true, in its proportion
of grace, as well as of glory; and joy will strengthen and stablish, as
I shewed you before, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." As long as
the child is in its father's eye, and the father in its eye, it is
secure. "Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the
Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee." It will
hold as well in the evils of sin, as in the evils of punishment: well,
the Lord make you know these precious truths in an experimental manner.
I have held you too long; but the business requires it. Remember, I
beseech you, it is God that must uphold your desires and resolutions;
and therefore, 1. Be much in prayer. And, 2. Set yourselves in the
presence of God. He lives unchangeably that lives in the unchangeable
God.
In the _Sixth_, and last place, if thou wouldst make an everlasting
covenant with God, that shall never be forgotten, look up to Jesus
Christ, go to Jesus Christ. He must help, and He must strengthen, and He
must keep thee, or else thou wilt never be able to "keep thy covenant;"
hear Him, else, "without me ye can do nothing." And as Christ speaks
thus in the negative; so you may hear the apostle speaking by blessed
experience in the affirmative; "I can do all things through Jesus
Christ, Who strengtheneth me." Observe, I pray, "Without Me ye can do
nothing. Through Christ I can do all things." Nothing, all things. There
is a good deal of difference between two men; take one without Christ,
and, be his parts never so excellent, his resolutions never so strong,
his engagements never so sacred, "he can do nothing;" unless it be to
"break his covenant and vows," as Samson brake his cords like threads
scorched with the fire; and, take the other with a Christ standing by
him, and be he in himself never so weak and mean, unlearned and
ungifted, lo, as if he were clothed with omnipotency, "he can do all
things," he can subdue such corruptions, conquer such temptations,
perform such duties, and in such a manner, do such things, suffer such
things, (and in all these keep his covenant with God) as to other men,
and to himself before, were so many impossibilities; he could not
before, now He can. Nothing before, all things now. All things fit for
an unglorified saint to do; all things God expects from him; all things
in a gospel sense; all things comparatively to other men, and to
himself, when he was another man. See, I beseech you, how without a
Christ, and thro' a Christ, makes one man differ from another; yea, and
from himself, as much as can and cannot; all things and nothing;
impotency and omnipotency, "Without me ye can do nothing." "Through
Christ I can do all things." If therefore you would make a covenant with
Eternity to eternity, study Christ more than ever, labour to "know
nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." And therein these two
things,
_First_, Labour to get interest in Christ. Interest is the ground of
influence; union the fountain or spring of communion; so Christ, "as the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more
can ye, except ye abide in Me." There you have the truth and the simile
of it; no fruit from Christ, without being and abiding in Christ; there
is truth: illustrated and proved by the vine and the branch; there the
simile, which is prosecuted and enlarged by our Saviour.
And, as all communion ariseth from union, so look what the union is,
such is the communion; Christ was filled with the fulness of God because
united to God; the saints receive of the fulness of Christ, because
united to Christ. "I in them, and Thou in Me." Only here is the
difference. Christ's union with His Father was personal, infinite, and
substantial, and therefore the communications were answerable, "For God
gave not the Spirit by measure unto Him." But the saints' union with
Christ, being of an inferior nature; their communications also are
proportional; yet such as serve poor creatures to all blessed saving
purposes. And therefore with Paul, labour to "be found in Christ," that
so you may know experimentally the power of His resurrection, and the
fellowship of His sufferings. All the power and virtue that are in Jesus
Christ, are only for them that are in Him, as the branch in the root, as
the members in the body.
Christ is called the covenant of God. "I will give thee for a covenant
of the people." As Calvin well expounds it, _sponsor foederis_, the
surety or undertaker of the covenant, of that second new covenant,
between God and His people, not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also. A
surety on both sides: the surety of God's covenant to them; "For all the
promises of God are in Him, yea, and in Him, Amen." He sees them all
made good to the heirs of promise. And Christ again is the surety of
their covenant unto God; for He undertakes to make good all their
covenants, and vows, and promises unto God. "Those that Thou gavest Me,
I have kept," saith Christ. "And I live (saith Paul), yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me." So that it is Christ who makes the covenant good
on both sides, as God's to His people, so His people's to God; and so it
follows in that place of Isaiah, "I have given thee for a covenant to
the people, to establish the earth;" establishment must come from
Christ, the undertaker, the surety of the covenant; as He paid the debt
for the time past, so He must see the articles of the covenant kept for
the time to come. For want of such an undertaker or surety, the first
covenant miscarried: It was between God and the creature, without a
mediator; and so the creature changing, the covenant was dissolved; but
the second, God meant should not miscarry, and therefore puts it into
sure hands; "I have laid help upon One that is mighty," speaking of
Christ, and "I will give Thee for a covenant to the people." God hath
furnished Christ wherewithal to be a surety; to make good His covenant
to His people, and their covenant to Him.
But now, He hath this stock of all-sufficiency for none but these that
are His members, He actually undertakes for none but those that are
actually in Him; "These that Thou hast given Me I have kept." He keeps
none but them whom the Father hath given Him; given Him so as to be in
them, and they in Him. "I in them, they in Me." Well, if thou wouldst be
unchangeable in thy covenant, get interest in Christ who is the
covenant; the unchangeable covenant; "The Amen, the faithful and true
witness." "Yesterday and to-day, and the same for ever." Get interest,
"count all things loss and dung, that thou mayst win Christ, and be
found in Christ." Yea, do not only labour to get interest, but prove thy
interest. Take not up a matter of so infinite concernment upon trust:
all that thou dost covenant to God, and that God doth covenant to thee,
depends upon it; and therefore, "work it out with fear and trembling,
and give all diligence to make it sure unto thy soul." Study evidences,
and be content with none but such as will bear weight in the "balance of
the sanctuary;" such as the word will secure; such as to which the word
will bear witness, that they are inconsistent with any Christless man or
woman, whatsoever; and pray with unwearying supplications that God will
not only give thee interest, but clear thy interest, and seal up
interest upon thy soul and thee, to the day of redemption.