kingdoms to the nearest uniformity in religion confession of faith, form
of church government, directory for worship, and catechising." But are
there not some that write against an uniformity in religion, and call it
an idol? Are there not many that walk professedly contrary to this
clause of the covenant? There are three texts of scripture that people
keep quite the contrary way. The first is, "Take no thought what ye
shall eat; take no thought for to-morrow." And most people take thought
for nothing else. The second is, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness;" and most people seek this last of all. The third
text is, "Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meat that
endureth for ever;" and most people labour not for the meat that
endureth for ever, but for the meat that perisheth. As these three texts
are kept, so do many people keep this part of the oath; for there were
never more divisions and differences in the church, never more
deformity, and pleading against uniformity, than now there is.
5. We swear "to endeavour the extirpation of popery, prelacy,
superstition, heresy, and schism." And yet, notwithstanding, there are
some that have taken the oath that contend earnestly for a toleration of
all religions.
6. We swear "against a detestable indifferency and neutrality in this
cause, which so much concerneth the glory of God." And yet how many are
there amongst us like unto Gallio, that care not what becomes of the
cause of God, so they may have peace and quiet? That will not be the
backwardest of all, and yet will be sure not to be too forward; for fear
lest, if the times turn, they should be noted amongst the chief of the
faction? That are very indifferent which side prevail, so they may have
their trading again? That say as the politicians say, That they would be
careful not to come too near the heels of religion, lest it should dash
out their brains: and as the king of Arragon told Beza, That he would
wade no further into the sea of religion, than he could safely return to
shore. In all these six particulars, let us seriously search and try our
hearts, whether we be not among the number of those that make the times
perilous.
The third use is for humiliation. Let the consideration of our
covenant-breaking be a heart-breaking consideration to every one of us
this day: let this be a mighty and powerful argument to humble us upon
this day of humiliation. There are five considerations that are
exceedingly soul-humbling, if God bless them to us.
1. The consideration of the many commandments of God, that we have often
and often broken. 2. The consideration of the breaking of Jesus Christ
for our sins, how He was rent and torn for our iniquities. 3. The
consideration of the breaking of the bread, and pouring out of the wine
in the sacrament, which is a heart-breaking motive and help. 4. The
broken condition that the kingdoms of England, Scotland, Ireland, and
Germany, are in at this time. 5. The many vows and covenants that we
have broken; our sacrament-covenants, our fasting-covenants, our
sick-bed covenants; and especially the consideration of our often
breaking our national covenant, which you come this day to renew. This
is a sin in folio, a sin of a high nature: and if ever God awaken our
conscience in this life, a sin that will lie like a heavy _incubus_ upon
it. A greater sin than to sin against a commandment, or against an
ordinance. A sin not only of disobedience, but of perjury; a sin of
injustice, of spiritual adultery, a sin of sacrilege, a sin of great
unkindness, a sin that not only makes us disobedient, but dishonest; for
we account him a dishonest man, that keeps not his word. A sin that not
only every good Christian, but every good heathen doth abhor; a sin that
not only brings damnation upon us, but casteth such an horrible disgrace
and reproach upon God, that it cannot stand with God's honour not to be
avenged of a covenant-breaker. Tertullian saith, "That when a Christian
forsakes his covenant, and the colours of Christ, and turns to serve as
the devil's soldier, he puts an unspeakable discredit upon God and
Christ." For it is as much as if he should say, "I like the service of
the devil better than the service of God." And it is just as if a
soldier that hath waged war under a captain, and afterwards forsakes
him, and turns to another; and after that, leaves this other captain,
and turns to his former captain. This is to prefer the first captain
before the second. This makes God complain, "What iniquity have your
fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me?" And, "Hath any
nation changed their god, which yet are no gods? But My people have
changed their glory for that which doth not profit." Basil brings in the
devil insulting over Christ, and saying, "I never created nor redeemed
these men, and yet they have obeyed me and contemned Thee, O Christ,
even after they have covenanted to be Thine." And then he adds, "I
esteem this honouring of the devil over Jesus Christ at the great day,
to be more grievous to a true saint than all the torments in hell." A
saying worthy to be written in letters of gold. Seeing then that
covenant-breaking is so great an abomination, the Lord give us hearts to
be humbled for this great abomination this day. And this will be a
notable preparation to fit you for the renewing of your covenant. For we
read, that Nehemiah first called his people to fast before he drew them
unto a covenant: according to which pattern, you are here met to pray
and humble your souls for your former covenant-breaking; and then to
bind yourselves anew unto the Lord our God. As wax, when it is melted,
will receive the impression of a seal, which it will not do before: so
will your hearts, when melted into godly sorrow for our sins, receive
the seal of God abidingly upon them which they will not do when hardened
in sin.
Is every man that sins against the covenant to be accounted a
covenant-breaker, and a perjured sacrilegious person? By no means. For,
as every failing of a wife doth not break covenant between her and her
husband, but she is to be accounted a wife, till she, by committing
adultery, break the covenant: so, every miscarriage against the covenant
of grace, or against this national covenant doth not denominate us, in a
gospel account, covenant-breakers: but then God accounts us, according
to His gospel, to break covenant when we do not only sin, but commit sin
against the covenant; when we do not only sin out of weakness, but out
of wickedness; when we do not only fail, but fall into sin; when we
forsake and renounce the covenant; when we deal treacherously in the
covenant, and enter into league and covenant with those sins which we
have sworn against; when we walk into anti-covenant paths, and willingly
do contrary to what we swear; then are we perjured, and unjust, and
sacrilegious, and guilty of all those things formerly mentioned.
The fourth use presents unto you a divine, and therefore a sure project
to make the times happy; and that is, let all covenant-takers labour to
be covenant-keepers. It hath pleased God, to put it in your hearts to
renew your covenant, the same God enabled you to keep covenant. It is
said, "The king made a covenant before the Lord. And he caused all that
were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the king
stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord. And all the
people stood to the covenant." This is your duty, not only to take the
covenant, but to stand to the covenant; and to stand to it maugre all
opposition to the contrary, as we read, "And they entered into a
covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers. That whosoever would not
seek the Lord God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or
great, whether man or woman." For it is not the taking, but the keeping
of the covenant, that will make you happy. God is styled, "A God keeping
covenant." O that this might be the honour of this city! That we may say
of it, London is a city keeping covenant with God. Great and many are
the blessings entailed upon covenant-keepers. "Now, therefore, if ye
will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a
peculiar treasure unto Me, above all people: for all the earth is Mine;
and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." "All
the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His
covenant." There are three covenants, I shall persuade you in a special
manner to stand to.
1. The covenant you made with God in baptism. A Christian (saith
Chrysostom) should never step out of doors, or lie down in his bed, or
go into his closet, but he should remember the time when he did renounce
the devil and all his works. Oh, let us not forget that which we ought
always to remember! Let us remember to keep that covenant, as we ever
desire God should remember us in mercy at the great day.
2. The covenant we make with God in our afflictions. Famous is that
passage of Pliny in one of his epistles, to one that desired rules from
him how to order his life aright; I will (saith he) give you one rule,
which shall be instead of a thousand: That we should persevere to be
such, when we are well, as we promise to be when we are sick. A sentence
never to be forgotten: the Lord help us to live accordingly.
3. The covenant which you are to take this day. The happiness or misery
of England doth much depend upon the keeping or breaking of this
covenant. If England keep it, England by keeping covenant shall stand
sure. If England break it, God will break England in pieces. If England
slight it, God will slight England. If England forsake it, God will
forsake England, and this shall be written upon the tomb of perishing
England, "Here lieth a nation that hath broken the covenant of their
God." Remember what you have heard this day, that it is the brand of a
reprobate to be a covenant-breaker, and it is the part of a fool to vow
and not to pay his vows. And God hath no delight in the sacrifice of
fools. "Better not to vow, than to vow and not to pay." It is such a
high profanation of God's name, as that God cannot hold a
covenant-breaker guiltless; it is perjury, injustice, spiritual
adultery, sacrilege. And the very lifting up of our hands this day, (if
you do not set heart and hand on work to keep covenant) will be a
sufficient witness against you at the great day. We read "that Jacob and
Laban entered in covenant, and took a heap of stones, and they called
the place Mizpah, the Lord watch between me and thee," and made them a
witness, and said "this heap is a witness." "The God of Abraham judge
betwixt us." Such is your condition this day. You enter into covenant to
become the Lord's, and to be valiant for His truth, and against His
enemies, and the very stones of this church shall be witness against
you, if you break covenant; the name of this place may lie called
Mizpah. The Lord will watch over you for good, if you keep it, and for
evil if you break it; and all the curses contained in the book of the
covenant shall light upon a willing covenant-breaker. The Lord fasten
these meditations and soul-awakening considerations upon your hearts.
The Lord give you grace to keep close to the covenant and a good
conscience, which are both lost by breaking covenant.
There are four things I shall persuade you unto in pursuance of your
covenant. 1. To be humbled for your own sins, and for the sins of the
kingdom; and more especially, because we have not, as we ought, valued
the inestimable benefit of the gospel, that we have not laboured to
receive Christ in our hearts, nor to walk worthy of Him in our lives,
which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding
amongst us. Gospel sins are greater than legal sins, and will bring
gospel curses, which are greater than legal curses. And therefore let us
be humbled according to our covenant, for all our gospel abominations.
2. You must be ambitious to go before one another in an example of real
reformation. You must swear vainly no more, be drunk no more, break the
Sabbath no more. You must remember what David says. "But unto the wicked
God saith, What hast thou to do to take My covenant in thy mouth? Seeing
thou hatest instruction, and castest My words behind thee." To sin
willingly, after we have sworn not to sin, is not only to sin against a
commandment, but to sin against an oath, which is a double iniquity, and
will procure a double damnation. And he that takes a covenant to reform,
and yet continueth unreformed, his covenant will be unto him as the
bitter water of jealousy was to the woman guilty of adultery, which made
her belly to swell, and thigh to rot. 3. You must be careful to reform
your families, according to your covenant, and the example of Jacob and
Joshua, and the godly kings fore-mentioned. 4. You must endeavour,
according to your places and callings, to bring the churches of God in
the three kingdoms to the nearest conjunction, and uniformity in
religion. O blessed unity! how comes it to pass, that thou art so much
slighted and contemned? Was not unity one of the chief parts of Christ's
prayer unto His Father, when He was here upon the earth? Is not unity
amongst Christians one of the strongest arguments to persuade the world
to believe in Christ? Is it not the chief desire of the holy apostles,
that we "should all speak the same things, and that there should be no
division amongst us?" Is not unity the happiness of heaven? Is it not
the happiness of a city, to be at unity with itself? "Is it not a good
and pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity?" How comes
it to pass then that this part of the covenant is so much forgotten? The
Lord mind you of it this day; and the Lord make this great and famous
city, a city of holiness, and a city of unity within itself: for if
unity be destroyed, purity will quickly also be destroyed. The church of
God is _Una_, as well as _Sancta_; it is but one church, as well as it
is a holy church. And "Jesus Christ gave some to be apostles, etc. till
we all come to the unity of the faith." The government of Christ is
appointed for keeping the church in unity, as well as purity. These
things which God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. That
government which doth not promote unity as well as purity, is not the
government of Christ. Oh, the misery of the kingdom where church
divisions are nourished and fomented! A kingdom or church against
itself, cannot stand. Would it not be a sad thing, to see twelve in a
family, and one of them a Presbyterian, another an Independent, another
a Brownist, another an Antimonian, another an Anabaptist, another a
Familist, another for Prelatical government, another a Seeker, another a
Papist, and the tenth, it may be, an Atheist, and the eleventh a Jew,
and the twelfth a Turk? The Lord in His due time heal our divisions, and
make you His choice of instruments, according to your places, that the
Lord may be one, and His name one in the three kingdoms.
_Quest._ But some will say, "How shall I do to get up my heart to this
high pitch, that I may be a covenant-keeper?" I will propound these
three helps. 1. Labour to be always mindful of your covenant, according
to that text, "God is always mindful of His covenant." It was the great
sin of the people of Israel, that they were unmindful of the covenant.
They first forgot the covenant, and afterwards did quickly forsake it.
He that forgets the covenant, must needs be a covenant-breaker. Let us
therefore remember it, and carry it about us as _quotidianum
argumentum_, and _quotidianum munimentum_. 1. Let us make the covenant a
daily argument against all sin and iniquity; and when we are tempted to
any sin, let us say, "I have sworn to forsake my old iniquity, and, if I
commit this sin, I am not only a commandment-breaker, but an
oath-breaker. I am perjured. I have sworn to reform my family, and
therefore I will not suffer a wicked person to tarry in my family; I
have sworn against neutrality and indifferency, and therefore I will be
zealous in God's cause." 2. Let us make this covenant a daily muniment
and armour of defence, to beat back all the fiery darts of the devil:
when any one tempts thee by promise of preferment to do contrary to thy
covenant, or threatens to ruin thee for the hearty pursuing of thy
covenant, here is a ready answer, "I am sworn to do what I do, and, if I
do otherwise, I am a perjured wretch." This is a wall of brass, to
resist any dart that shall be shot against thee for well-doing,
according to thy covenant. Famous is the story of Hannibal, which he
told king Antiochus, when he required aid of him against the Romans,
"When I was nine years old (saith he) my father carried me to the altar,
and made me take an oath to be an irreconcilable foe to the Romans. In
pursuance of this oath, I have waged war against them thirty-six years.
To keep this oath, I have left my country, and am come to seek aid at
your hands, which, if you deny, I will travel all over the world, to
find out some enemies to the Roman state." If an oath did so mightily
operate in Hannibal; let the oath you are to take this day work as
powerfully upon you; and make your oath an argument to oppose
personal-sins and family sins, and to oppose heresy, schism, and all
profaneness; and to endeavour to bring the church of God in the three
kingdoms to the nearest conjunction and uniformity. And let this oath be
armour-proof against all temptations to the contrary. And know this one
thing, that if the covenant be not a daily argument and muniment against
sin, it will become, upon your breaking of it, a daily witness against
you, as the book of the law was, and an "everlasting shame and
reproach" unto you and yours. 2. Let us have high thoughts of the
covenant. Actions and affections follow our apprehensions. If thy
judgment be belepered with a corrupt opinion about the covenant, thy
affections and actions will quickly be belepered also: and therefore you
ought to endeavour, according to your places, that nothing be spoken or
written that may tend to the prejudice of the covenant. 3. You must take
heed of the cursed sin of self-love, which is placed in the forefront,
as the cause of all the catalogue of sins here named; "Because men are
lovers of themselves, therefore they are covetous," etc., and therefore
they are covenant-breakers. A self-seeker cannot but be a
covenant-breaker: this is a sin you must hate as the very gates of hell.
And this is the second sin I promised in the beginning of my sermon to
speak on: but the time, and your other occasions will not permit. There
is a natural self-love, and a divine self-love, and a sinful self-love.
This sinful self-love is, when we make ourselves the last end of all our
actions, when we so love ourselves, as to love no man but ourselves,
according to the proverb, "Every man for himself." When we pretend God
and His glory, and the common good, but intend ourselves, and our own
private gain and interest; when we serve God upon politic designs. Where
this sinful self-love dwells, there dwells no love to God, no love to
thy brother, no love to church or state. This sinful self-love is the
caterpillar that destroyeth church and commonwealth. It is from this
sinful self-love that the public affairs drive on so heavily, and that
church-government is not settled, and that our covenant is so much
neglected. Of this sin, I cannot now speak; but, when God shall offer
opportunity, I shall endeavour to uncase it you. In the meantime, the
Lord give you grace to hate it as hell itself.
THE NATIONAL COVENANTS.
[Illustration: Fac-simile of old Title page of following Ceremony.]
THE
FORM and ORDER
OF THE
CORONATION
OF
CHARLES II.
King of _SCOTLAND_, _ENGLAND_, _FRANCE_, and _IRELAND_.
As it was acted and done at _SCOON_, the First Day of _January_, 1651.
By the Reverend Mr. Robert Douglas, Minister at _Edinburgh_, and one of
the Members of the _Westminster_ Assembly of _Divines_.
1 Chron. xxix. 23. _Then_ Solomon _sat on the Throne of the Lord as King,
in stead of_ David _his Father, and prospered, and all_ Israel _obeyed
him._
Prov. xx. 8. _A King that sitteth in the Throne of Judgment, scattereth
away all Evil with his Eyes._
Prov. xxv. 5. _Take away the Wicked from before the King, and his Throne
shall be established in Righteousness._
GLASGOW
Printed for George Paton, and are to be Sold at his Shop in _Linlithgow_,
and other Booksellers in Town and Country. 1741.
THE NATIONAL COVENANTS
CORONATION SERMON AT SCONE.[15]
_BY ROBERT DOUGLAS._
And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him; and
gave him the testimony, and they made him king and anointed him, and
they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, and the king, and the
people, that they should he the Lord's people; between the king also,
and the people.--_2 Kings_ xi, 12, 17.
In this text of Scripture you have the solemn enthronizing of Joash, a
young king, and that in a very troublesome time; for Athaliah, the
mother of Ahaziah, had cruelly murdered the royal seed, and usurped the
kingdom by the space of six years. Only this young prince was preserved
by Jehosheba, the sister of Ahaziah, and wife to Jehoiada, the high
priest, being hid with her in the house of the Lord, all that time.
Good interpreters do conjecture, though Joash be called the son of
Ahaziah, that he was not his son by nature, but by succession to the
crown. They say, that the race of Solomon ceased here, and the kingdom
came to the posterity of Nathan, the son of David, because, 'tis said,
"the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom;" which
they conceive to be for the want of children in that house, and because
of the absurdity and unnaturalness of the fact, that Athaliah, the
grandmother, should have cut off her son's children. I shall not stand
on the matter, only I may say, if they were Ahaziah's own children, it
was a most unnatural and cruel act for Athaliah to cut off her own
posterity.
For the usurpation, there might have been two motives. _First_, It
seemeth when Ahaziah went to battle, Athaliah was left to govern the
kingdom, and, her son Ahaziah being slain before his return, she thought
the government sweet, and could not part with it, and because the royal
seed stood in her way, she cruelly destroyed them, that she might reign
with the greater freedom. _Secondly_, She was earnest to set up a false
worship, even the worship of Baal, which she thought could not be so
well done, as by cutting off the royal race, and getting the sole power
in her hand, that she might do what she pleased.
The business you are about this day, is not unlike: you are to invest a
young king in the throne, in a very troublesome time, and wicked men
have risen up and usurped the kingdom, and put to death the late king
most unnaturally. The like motives seemed to have prevailed with them.
_First_, These men by falsehood and dissimulation, have gotten power in
their hands, which to them is so sweet, that they are unwilling to part
with it; and because the king and his seed stood in their way, they have
made away the king, and disinherited his children, that the sole power
might be in their hand. _Secondly_, They have a number of damnable
errors, and a false worship to set up, and intend to take away the
ordinances of Christ, and government of His kirk: all this cannot be
done, unless they have the sole power in their hands, and this they
cannot have until the king and his posterity be cut off. But I leave
this, and come to the present solemnity; there's a prince to be
enthroned, good Jehoiada will have the crown put upon his head.
It may be questioned why they went about this coronation in a time of so
great hazard, when Athaliah had reigned six years. Had it not been
better to have defeated Athaliah, and then to have crowned the king? Two
reasons may be rendered why they delay the coronation. (1) To crown the
king was a duty they were bound to. Hazard should not make men leave
their duty; they did their duty, and left the success to God. (2) They
crowned the young king, to endear the people's affections to their own
native prince, and to alienate their hearts from her that had usurped
the kingdom. If they had delayed (the king being known to be preserved),
it might have brought on not only compliance with her, but also
subjection to her government, by resting in it, and being content to lay
aside the righteous heir of the crown.