O thou Most High God, thou hast left this covenant in thy Holy
Book, saying, "If any man will take hold of my covenant."
Now, therefore, in holy fear and reverence I present myself as the
party of the second part and subscribe my name to the holy article
of agreement, and following thy example will here and now write
down the conditions on my part.
"They shall be my people." Jer. 31:33. Amen, Lord, =I am forever
thine=.
The vow is passed beyond repeal,
Now will I set the solemn seal.
Lord, thou hast been true to thy covenant, though I have been most
unfaithful and am now altogether unworthy to take hold of thy most
gracious covenant. But knowing that thou hast bound thyself in thy
own free offer to "be merciful to their unrighteousness," I take
courage to approach thee and would most earnestly beseech thee to
fulfil thy wonderful offer to BE MY GOD; and I do most joyfully
yield myself entirely TO BE THINE.
Therefore this soul which thou hast made in thine own image is
placed wholly in thy hands to do with it as seemeth good.
This mind shall think only for thy glory and the promotion of thy
cause.
This will is thy will, O God!
The spirit within this body is now thine; do with it as thou wilt,
in life and death.
This body is thy temple forevermore.
These hands shall work only for thee.
These eyes to see thy adorable works and thy holy law.
This tongue and these lips to speak only holiness unto the Lord.
These ears to hear thy voice alone.
These feet to walk only in thy ways.
And all my being is now and forever thine.
In signing my name to this solemn covenant I am aware that I bind
myself to live, act, speak, think, move, sit, stand up, lie down,
eat, drink, hear, see, feel, and whatsoever I do all the days and
nights of my life to do all continually and exclusively to the
glory of God. I must henceforth wear nothing but what honors God. I
must have nothing in my possession or under my control but such as
I can consistently write upon, "Holiness unto the Lord." The place
where I live must be wholly dedicated to God. Every item of goods
or property that is under my control is hereby conveyed fully over
into the hands of God to be used by him as he will and to be taken
from my stewardship whenever the great Owner wishes, and it is not
my business at all.
She whom I call my wife belongs forevermore to God. Use her as thou
wilt and where thou wilt, and leave her with me, or take her from
me, just as seemeth good to thee and to thy glory. Amen.
Levilla Modest, whom we love as a dear child bestowed upon us
by thy infinite goodness, is hereby returned to thee. If thou
wilt leave us to care for her and teach her of her true Father
and Owner, we will do the best we can by thy aid to make her
profitable unto thee. But if thou deemest us unfit to properly rear
her or wouldst have her in thy more immediate presence, behold, she
is thine, take her. Amen and amen.
And now, great and merciful Father, thou to whom I belong, with all
that pertains to me, and thou who art mine with all that pertains
to thy fulness and richness, all this offering which I have made
would be but foolishness and waste of time were it not for what
I have in thee obtained to confirm the solemn contract. For were
it not that thou art my God, my promises would be but idle words.
I could fulfil nothing which my mouth has uttered and my pen has
written. But since thou, Almighty, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and
Eternal God, art mine, I have a thousandfold assurance that all
shall be fulfilled through thy fulness.
My ignorance is fully supplied by thy own infinite wisdom. My utter
weakness and inability to preserve myself from sin is abundantly
supplied by thy omnipotence, to thy everlasting praise.
Glory to thy holy name! Though I have solemnly pledged all things
to thee, yet, as thou art my "all and in all," I have nothing to
fear. Now, O Father! my God and Savior, I humbly pray thee so to
keep me that all my powers of soul, body, and spirit, my time,
talents, will, influence, words, and works, shall continually,
exclusively, and eternally glorify thy holy name through Jesus
Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen and amen.
In covenant with the God of all grace and mercy, who has become my
salvation, my all, and whose I am forever, to the praise of his
glory. Amen.
Entered into by the direction of the Holy Spirit and signed this
Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord Eighteen
Hundred and Seventy-Seven.