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<DATE>2013-05-15</DATE>
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<NAME>Leah Yurasek</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>RELIGIOVS COVENANTING DIRECTED, AND Covenant-keeping per&s;waded: <HI>PRESENTED,</HI> In a SERMON preached before the Right Honourable <HI>Thomas Adams</HI> Lord Major, and the Right Wor&s;hipfull the Sheriffs, and Alder|men his brethren, and the re&s;t of the Com|mon-Councel of the famous City of LONDON, <HI>January,</HI> 14. 1645.</P>
<P>Upon which day the &s;olemne League and Covenant was renewed by them and their Officers, with Prayer and Fa&s;ting, at <HI>Michael Ba&s;ing-&s;haw, London.</HI></P>
<P>By <HI>Simeon A&s;h</HI> Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel.</P>
<Q><HI>When thou &s;halt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou &s;halt not &s;lack to pay it, for the Lord thy God will require it of thee, and it would be &s;in in thee.</HI><BIBL> Deut. 23. 21.</BIBL></Q>
<Q><HI>I will bring the &s;word upon you, that &s;hall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant.</HI><BIBL> Lev. 26. 25.</BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>G. M.</HI> for <HI>Tho. &V;nderhill</HI> at the &s;igne of the Bible in Wood-&s;treet. M. DC. XLVI.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE <HI>THOMAS ADAMS</HI> Lord Major, AND THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL The Sheriffs and Aldermen his Brethren, and to the re&s;t of the Honourable Court of Common Councel of the City of LONDON.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_THis plain Sermon which attended your &s;ervice of</HI> Covenant-renewing <HI>from the Pulpit, comes now from the Pre&s;&s;e, in obedience to your command, to do you and the publike &s;ome further &s;ervice. If upon the peru&s;all of that which you heard preached, it may plea&s;e the Lord to quicken your zeal in Covenant|keeping, I &s;hall have occa&s;ion to ble&s;&s;e his Name with a joyfull heart.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The zeal of the Common-Councell of</HI> London, <HI>in renewing their &s;olemne League and Covenant, rings thorow the &s;everall Counties of the Kingdom of</HI> England: <HI>and I am confident, that the &s;ound thereof hath been heard in many other Kingdoms: And doubtle&s;&s;e there are often enquiries, and earne&s;t expectations to hear what</HI> Lon|don <HI>now doth in the pur&s;uance of their Covenant heretofore taken, and now again &s;olemnly renewed with holy fa&s;ting and prayer.</HI> A City &s;et upon an hill cannot be hid; <HI>your practices have had, and will have &s;trong influences into the &s;everall parts of this Land, and into other Nations: You have formerly and lately done well and wor|thily in re&s;pect to your Covenant: I pray God, that your continued holy zeal may affect and fire many in other Countries in faithfull Co|venant-keeping.
<PB REF="3"> God forbid, that you &s;hould ever de&s;erve thus to be &s;tigmatized, either by God or men;</HI> Their heart was not right with God, neither were they &s;tedfa&s;t in their Covenant, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78. 37.</P>
<P><HI>I &s;hall not need to tell you, that our &s;olemne League and Covenant is despi&s;ed, devided, a&s;per&s;ed and oppo&s;ed by too many: for that which you may read in Pamphlets, and hear from &s;ome Pulpits and other places, doth make you both eye-witne&s;&s;es and ear-witne&s;&s;es of this evil, which &s;hould be greatly bewailed. This contradiction, this oppo&s;ition &s;hould increa&s;e your gracious heat for your God. Fire gives out the mo&s;t &s;corching heat in the colde&s;t weather.</HI> It is time for thee, Lord, to worke (<HI>&s;aith David</HI>) for they have made void thy Law. Therefore I love thy Commandements above gold, yea above fine gold. Therefore I e&s;teem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every fal&s;e way, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 126, 127, 128.</P>
<P><HI>My &s;oul de&s;ires, that according to the guidance of that wi&s;edom which is from above, you all may make the like gracious improvement of the checks and affronts which you meet with, in your Covenant-keeping. By how much the more, any others do plot and practi&s;e to hinder the glorious worke of Church-reformation, by &s;o much the more do you con&s;ult and act, to expedite and perfect it. By how much the more any others &s;trive and &s;tudy to maintain Popery, Prelacie, Schi&s;me, Here&s;ie. by &s;o much the more, do you &s;et your &s;elves again&s;t &s;uch matters, as be|ing destructive to the welfare both of Church and &s;tate. By how much the more others de&s;igne and endeavour to break the brotherly union between</HI> England <HI>and</HI> Scotland, <HI>by &s;o much the more do you lay forth your &s;elves to maintain it. And that your zeal in the&s;e kindes may appear to your &s;elves and others to be pure and &s;incere, let it be your chief and con&s;tant care, to reforme your &s;elves and all yours, in every thing, according to the will of God: That you all may in the&s;e parti|culars and in all things el&s;e, approve yaur &s;elves faithfull both to God and man, in holy Covenant-keeping, &s;hall be the prayer of him, who is</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your &s;ervant, in, and for Je&s;us Chri&s;t, SIM: ASH.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>Feb. 24^t^h</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
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<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>RELIGIOVS COVENANTING DIRECTED.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>PSAL. 76. II.</BIBL> Vow and pay unto the Lord your God.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THis Text per&s;wades a double duty. 1. To make vows. 2. To pay vows unto the Lord our God. From whence two truths, &s;ea&s;onable for the &s;ervice of the day, fall naturally, and ea&s;ily, without forcing, into our con&s;ideration.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>That Gods people must make religious vows, as his hand of pro|vidence doth lead them forth thereunto.</HI> </P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doct."> <HI>That &s;uch vows being made, must be payed unto the Lord our God.</HI></P>
<P>In the handling of the former of the&s;e propo&s;itions, I &s;hall briefly give you, 1. The explication; 2. The application thereof.</P>
<P>The explication of the point I &s;hall di&s;patch under the&s;e three heads. 1. The Act required, <HI>vow.</HI> 2. The Agents, or per&s;ons upon whom this duty is pre&s;&s;ed: This the following words ex|pre&s;&s;e. <HI>All tho&s;e that be round about him.</HI> 3. The providences, whereby God calleth forth to this practice <HI>of making vows.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Holy vows are the &s;olemn engagements of the &s;oul unto the Lord, according to his will: <HI>If a man vow a vow unto the
<PB N="2" REF="4"> Lord, or &s;wear an oath, to binde his &s;oul with a bond,</HI> Numb. 30. 2. To vow, to &s;wear, and to covenant, are in Scripture phra&s;e equi|valent, importing the &s;ame thing, <HI>Jonathan made a Covenant with David, And Jonathan cau&s;ed David to &s;wear again,</HI> 1 Sam. 29. 16, 17. Here I may not &s;pend time, in di&s;cour&s;ing concerning the &s;everall &s;orts of vows, which might be &s;poken to, under the&s;e, or &s;uch like heads. 1. They are either made to God, or man. 2. Of things nece&s;&s;ary, or arbitrary. 3. Explicite, or implicite, mentall, or vocall. 4. A&s;&s;ertory, or promi&s;&s;ory. But let it be &s;uf|ficient, that I now &s;ugge&s;t thus much: That the Text is to be un|der&s;tood of &s;uch vows, as are promi&s;&s;ory obligations unto the Lord. And from hence I &s;hall per&s;wade and direct the managing of &s;uch vows unto God, as are nece&s;&s;ary and openly unfolded to every ordinary under&s;tanding, in the &s;olemn League and Covenant this day to be renewed.</P>
<P>Secondly, the Actors in this duty are de&s;cribed to be &s;uch, as are <HI>round about the Lord.</HI> The P&s;almi&s;t hath reference to <HI>Numb.</HI> 2. 2. where <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was commanded <HI>to pitch</HI> their Tents round <HI>about the Tabernacle,</HI> which was a &s;igne of Gods &s;peciall pre&s;ence. And this phra&s;e (as I conceive) de&s;cribeth Gods people by a double character. 1. Their &s;peciall attendance upon God, their readine&s;&s;e to receive and obey his commands: As the four and twenty El|ders, are &s;aid, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4. 4. to be <HI>round about the Throne,</HI> as pres'd to prai&s;e the Lord. 2. Gods &s;peciall pre&s;ence in the mid&s;t of them, to hear prayers, and to performe promi&s;es, for their pre&s;ervation and welfare in every kinde; <HI>who hath God &s;o nigh unto them, as the Lord our God, in all things, that we call upon him for?</HI> Deu. 4. 7.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the call unto this imployment I &s;hall note under a five fold providence from the Lord.</P>
<P N="1">1. Sinfull defections from God, that by means of religious vow|ing, his back&s;liding people might be recovered: <HI>Our fathers have trespa&s;&s;ed and done that which is evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have for&s;aken him, and have turned away their face from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs. Al&s;o they have &s;hut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burnt incen&s;e, nor offered burnt offerings, in the holy place unto the God of I&s;rael. Now it is in my heart</HI> (&s;aith <HI>He|zekiah</HI>)
<PB N="3" REF="4"> <HI>to make a Covenant with the Lord God of I&s;rael,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29. 6, 7, 10. Thus likewi&s;e the people of God re&s;olved in the dayes of <HI>Ezra: We have tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed again&s;t our God,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Now therefore, let us make a Covenant with our God,</HI> Ezra 10. 2, 3.</P>
<P N="2">2. Sad di&s;coveries of divine di&s;plea&s;ure, that by holy covenant|ing pre&s;ent judgements might be removed, and future evils pre|vented: <HI>The wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jeru&s;alem; and he hath delivered them to trouble, to a&s;toni&s;hment and to hi&s;&s;ing, as ye &s;ee with your eyes. For lo our fathers have fal|len by the &s;word, and our &s;ons, and our daughters, and our wives are in captivity for this. Now it is in mine heart</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Hezekiah) to make a covenant with the Lord God of I&s;rael, that his fierce wrath may turne away from us,</HI> 2 Chron. 29. 8, 9, 10.</P>
<P N="3">3. Famous experiences of Gods goodne&s;&s;e, that by the right u&s;e of religions vows his Maje&s;ty may be prai&s;ed, and his providen|ces improved. The exhortation in the Text was grounded upon &s;ome &s;uch occa&s;ion, as many ver&s;es in the P&s;alme declare: <HI>The &s;tout-hearted are spoiled, they have &s;lept their &s;leep, and none of the men of might have found their hands,</HI> ver. 5. <HI>At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and hor&s;e are ca&s;t into a dead|&s;leep,</HI> ver. 6. <HI>When God aro&s;e in judgement to &s;ave all the meek of the earth,</HI> ver. 8. Hence follows, <HI>vow and pay,</HI> &amp;c. Interpre|ters judge, that this P&s;alm was penned, upon <HI>A&s;hurs</HI> overthrow, whereupon <HI>many brought gifts unto the Lord unto Jeru&s;alam,</HI> 2 Chron. 32. 23. according to the advice given in the words im|mediatly following the Text, <HI>Bring pre&s;ents unto him that ought to be feared.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Defective improvements (if any improvements at all) of Gods favourable admini&s;trations, that by foederall engagements his people might be bettered: <HI>The&s;e are the words of the cove|nant which the Lord commanded Mo&s;es</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Ye have &s;een all that the Lord did before your eyes, even in the land of Egypt,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>The great temptations, and tho&s;e great miracles: yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to &s;ee, and ears to hear unto this day,</HI> Deut. 29. 1, 2, 3, 4. This is propounded as one ground of the Covenant renewed, whereof we reade in the follow|ing ver&s;es.</P>
<P N="5"><PB N="4" REF="5">5. Apparent danger of &s;eduction and departure from God. In this regard Gods &s;ervants have afre&s;h obliged them&s;elves to his Maje&s;ty, for their own e&s;tabli&s;hment and pre&s;ervation: <HI>Ye stand this day before the Lord, to enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, le&s;t there &s;hould be among&s;t you any, who&s;e heart turneth away from the Lord,</HI> Deut. 29. 10, 12, 18.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V;&s;e"> The application of this point followeth; which &s;erves in the fir&s;t place to informe you of your call to <HI>covenant-renewing,</HI> the intended &s;ervice of this day. For give me leave to appeal unto your con&s;ciences, <HI>Right Honourable, right Wor&s;hipfull, and much respected Citizens,</HI> whether all the five fore-mentioned parti|culars, do not fully reach you and take hold upon you, both in re|&s;pect of Gods dealings with you, and your mi&s;carriages towards him, &s;ince you at fir&s;t took the &s;olemne League and Covenant. And here I &s;hall make bold to propound unto you &s;ome &s;hort in|terrogatories, under the five fore-mentioned heads, to which I wi&s;h your hearts may returne an&s;wers, as in the pre&s;ence of the All|knowing God.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Are you not guilty of &s;infull declinings in a great degree from your former engagements unto the Lord? Have you not lo&s;t your fir&s;t love? Have not the matters of Gods hou&s;e been much &s;leighted and neglected? Hath not your care to pre&s;erve the truth of Religion from corruption been much abated? Have you not connived at the &s;preading of pernicious errours in this City? Hath not your zeal again&s;t &s;chi&s;me and &s;infull &s;eparations from our Church A&s;&s;emblies been very much cooled? Is not your love to|wards our Brethren of <HI>Scotland</HI> in a great mea&s;ure le&s;&s;ened? Have not your vigorous endeavours to promote the &s;etling of Chri&s;ts government in our Congregations been wofully dimini&s;hed? And have you not been lamentably wanting in labouring the thorow reformation of your &s;elves and families? Which of you, hath &s;tri|ven to exceed, to excell others, in advancing the power of godli|ne&s;&s;e in your conver&s;ation? Doubtle&s;&s;e the&s;e and &s;uch like back|&s;lidings from former engagements, may well warrant your Co|venant-renewing with your God.</P>
<P>Secondly, None of you can be ignorant of the manifold, mani|fe&s;t di&s;coveries of Gods heavy di&s;plea&s;ure again&s;t this poor trem|bling Kingdom. Hath not the Lord <HI>delivered us up unto trouble
<PB N="5" REF="5"> and a&s;toni&s;hment,</HI> by his &s;evere admini&s;trations? How many thou|&s;ands have fallen by the &s;word of cruell war? What wofull de|&s;olations are made in many Towns, yea Counties in this King|dom, by the prevailing pitile&s;&s;e enemies? And &s;hould not we read Gods wrath again&s;t our &s;elves, in the abundance of blood which hath been &s;hed, and the unhappy &s;poils which have been made in <HI>Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland?</HI> Be&s;ides all this, I pray you con&s;ider whe|ther the&s;e things do not proclaim and &s;peak alowd Gods anger? Our long looked for reformation in matters of Religion, is &s;till de|ferred: our hopes of the much-needed and much-de&s;ired Di&s;cipline of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, are &s;till di&s;appointed: the mi&s;erable rents and di|vi&s;ions in families, Congregations, Cities and Counties, by rea&s;on of different, yea contrary opinions and practices, in wayes of Re|ligion, are wonderfully increa&s;ed. And have we not in the&s;e re|gards rea&s;on to renew our Covenant, that the wrath of the Lord may be turned from us?</P>
<P>Thirdly, God hath often <HI>remembred us in our low e&s;tate, be|cau&s;e his mercy endureth for ever.</HI> Who can recount Gods many marvellous works for our &s;afety and comfort? Have not our deli|verances been wonderfull, and many of our victories little le&s;&s;e then miraculous? How often hath the &s;ubtiil enemy been infatua|ted, the &s;trong enemy weakned, and great Armies broken by a little &s;trength? I &s;hall not need here to minde you of the many wonders which Gods Almighty hand hath wrought for us, both in the Nor|therne and We&s;terne parts. And as for this City, how admirably and unexpectedly hath it been pre&s;erved and provided for, in every kinde by the Lord? How many oppre&s;&s;ions are we freed from, by Parliamentary authority, through the goodne&s;&s;e of our God? Therefore be&s;ides other pre&s;ents of prai&s;e which God de&s;erves at our hands, we have ju&s;t occa&s;ion to pre&s;ent our &s;elves unto his Higne&s;&s;e by Covenant-renewing.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Notwith&s;tanding our various and glorious expe|riences of Gods patience and goodne&s;&s;e; Have we not too much cau&s;e thus to complain, that to this day we want hearts to hu&s;|band Gods remarkable providences, to his honour and our own ad|vantage? Who loves God more, or who &s;erves him better, becau&s;e of the great things he hath done for us? Is our faith in Gods pro|mi&s;es &s;tronger? Is our fear of Gods di&s;plea&s;ure greater? Are we
<PB N="6" REF="6"> more zealous for the Lord of Ho&s;ts, or more couragious for his truth, again&s;t errour? Dare we &s;ay that we do our utmo&s;t for the &s;peeding of Church-reformation, that we may not be over-run and undone by Sects, Schi&s;mes and confu&s;ions? Therefore certainly, we have a call to renew our Covenant, to quicken our improve|ment of Gods gracious providences, both to his prai&s;e, others pro|fit, and our own further comfort in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Fiftly and la&s;tly, That we may not fall from our &s;tedfa&s;tne&s;&s;e, we have need to binde our &s;elves yet further unto our God by &s;o|lemne Covenant. Men are wont (as I have heard) to hoop their <HI>ve&s;&s;els</HI> with iron bonds, in which they carry their &s;tronger liquors beyond &s;eas, that by the to&s;&s;ings in the &s;hip and the liquors working, the ve&s;&s;els may not be broken into pieces, and the liquor lo&s;t. And have not we more need to add the bond of a &s;olemne Covenant to the bond of Gods &s;acred commands, that we may not be broken from one another, nor divided from God in his truths and ho|ly wor&s;hips, in the&s;e broken, erroneons, &s;tormy, tempe&s;tuous times?</P>
<P>For 1. <HI>Emulation, variance, &s;trife, &s;editions, here&s;ies,</HI> are rec|koned <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.</NOTE> up, by the Apo&s;tle, among&s;t the works of the fle&s;h, unto which our corrupt natures do &s;trongly di&s;po&s;e us.</P>
<P>2. There are more then a good many of &s;ubtle, bu&s;ie factours in this City, to promote errours, &s;chi&s;mes and factions of &s;everall &s;orts, to draw di&s;ciples after them, and to &s;pread their infection among&s;t people of all rankes and qualities.</P>
<P>3. It is apparent, by too many in&s;tances, that divers per&s;ons both wi&s;e and godly, have been deceived and drawn a&s;ide from the wayes of truth, into the by-paths of errour and &s;chi&s;me, and into practices of bitterne&s;&s;e (I will not &s;ay of how many kindes) again&s;t their brethren. Therefore in this re&s;pect, as in tho&s;e before mentioned, you have ju&s;t cau&s;e to &s;ay one to another; <HI>Come, let us joyn our &s;elves unto the Lord in a Covenant, never to be forgotten.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Having thus far endeavoured to clear up your call unto Cove|nant-renewing, I now proceed by way of exhortation, to per|&s;wade your regular and reverentiall cautiou&s;ne&s;&s;e in this weighty bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. Con&s;ider the glorious Maje&s;ty of God, unto whom vows are to be made; He <HI>ought to be feared,</HI> as our tran&s;lation
<PB N="7" REF="6"> renders the words following the Text: or, He <HI>is fear,</HI> as the Ori|ginall hath it. In which phra&s;e we have <HI>Nomen affectus, pro ob|jecto.</HI> God is a dreadfull and terrible Maje&s;ty. And this doubtle&s;&s;e is added, to awe mens hearts, in the undertaking of &s;uch like &s;er|vices. The advice of <HI>Solomon</HI> upon this ground is more open, <HI>Ec|cle&s;.</HI> 5. 2. <HI>Be not ra&s;h with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be ha&s;ty to utter any thing before God, for God is in Heaven, and thou upon earth.</HI> In which coun&s;ell, the wi&s;e man hath &s;peciall reference unto vowing, as the following words declare.</P>
<P>Now for your guidance in this great &s;ervice, I will give you briefly &s;ome plain and nece&s;&s;ary rules.</P>
<P N="1">1. You mu&s;t Covenant <HI>knowingly.</HI> It is thus openly expre&s;&s;ed, of them who covenanted in the dayes of <HI>Nehemiah, Every one having knowledge, and having under&s;tanding, they clave to their brethren, they entred into an oath to walke in Gods Law,</HI> Neh. 10. 29. Ignorance doth nothing well: the light of knowledge mu&s;t guide our whole cour&s;e. And in this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of a &s;acred vow, it is nece&s;&s;ary that men know, both the nature of the duty, and the matter of the federall engagement. No man &s;hould be moved by an implicite faith, but every one &s;hould be fully per&s;waded in his own minde. For as in other ca&s;es, &s;o in this, <HI>what&s;oever is not of faith, is &s;in.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Repentance</HI> for former offences mu&s;t precede, and prepare for Covenant-renewing. Thus it was with tho&s;e, who &s;ealed and &s;ub|&s;cribed the &s;olemne Covenant in the time of <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> for they a&s;&s;embled them&s;elves to keep a religious Fa&s;t (as we do this day) before they entered into the Covenant, <HI>Neh.</HI> 9. 1. In which exerci&s;e deep &s;orrow for &s;in was expre&s;&s;ed, their particular evils were ag|gravated and largely confe&s;&s;ed, them&s;elves were judged, and God was ju&s;tified in his &s;evere admini&s;trations: All the&s;e expre&s;&s;ions of repentance, are manife&s;t in that 9^t^h Chapter of <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> which then was the introduction to the Covenant. And doubtle&s;&s;e if we do not penitently bewail our former violations of Gods com|mands and our own vows, we cannot with acceptation to God, or with comfort in our own hearts renew our Covenant with him this day.</P>
<P N="3">3. Your <HI>hearts</HI> mu&s;t go along with your vows. It is &s;aid, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&punc; Chron&punc; 15&punc; 15&punc; That all Judah did &s;wear with all their hearts&punc;</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="7"> And God will not take up with le&s;&s;e at our hands this day. It is no better then hypocri&s;ie, to lift up hands before God, when <HI>the heart is far from him.</HI> We mu&s;t in our judgements approve and re&s;olve upon the payment of our vows, and all our affections, both concu|pi&s;cible and ira&s;cible, mu&s;t be upon the wing, according to the va|rious particularities expre&s;&s;ed in the Covenant. The &s;oul &s;hould with love, joy and longings, worke towards the &s;peedy &s;etling of Church-governement according to the word of God, and towards the maintaining of brotherly union between the two Kingdoms of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI> together with the more full reforma|tion of our &s;elves and families. And O how &s;hould your &s;ouls now ri&s;e, in holy di&s;like, in the hatred of, and in indignation again&s;t <HI>Popery, and all profanene&s;&s;e,</HI> again&s;t <HI>Here&s;ies, Schi&s;me, dete&s;table Neutrality,</HI> and what&s;oever el&s;e it is, which is again&s;t God and the wellfare of the&s;e Kingdoms!</P>
<P N="4">4. Our Covenanting mu&s;t be accompanied with <HI>humility.</HI> 1. From the &s;en&s;e of our own weakne&s;&s;es to keep touch with God, in comming up fully to the Covenant; we &s;hould lean to his promi&s;e, and take hold on his &s;trength: Say, as the Church, <HI>Through God we &s;hall do valiantly, P&s;al.</HI> 60. 11. And as the ble&s;&s;ed Apo&s;tle did; <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 13. <HI>I can do all things through Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;trengthen|ing me.</HI></P>
<P>2. And being apprehen&s;ive of our own unworthine&s;&s;e, to receive any ability from the Lord, &s;eeing by our &s;ins, we have enfeebled our own &s;pirits, therefore we &s;hould humbly petition for divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance. Herein imitate <HI>David,</HI> who having thus in re&s;olution and promi&s;e expre&s;&s;ed him&s;elf before God, <HI>I will keep thy statutes,</HI> he immediatly adds, <HI>O for&s;ake me not utterly, P&s;al.</HI> 119. 8. The more of the &s;pirit of <HI>&s;elf-deniall and prayer</HI> is in your hearts, when you take the Covenant, the more hope there will be of your keep|ing it afterwards.</P>
<P N="5">5. Come to the Covenant <HI>con&s;cientiou&s;ly.</HI> Be not acted only by the appointments, expectations or practices of men in this par|ticular: Let not this be the alone motive upon your &s;pirits; Co|venant-renewing is ordered by the <HI>Court of Common-Councel:</HI> But rather rea&s;on thus; The manifold providences of God before &s;pecified, do call unto this &s;ervice, and therefore we will undertake it. If you re&s;pect not God in the worke, you &s;hall lo&s;e both accept <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 line"></P>
<P N="6"><PB N="9" REF="7">6. Covenant <HI>fiducially:</HI> If your &s;pirits act &s;incerely, according to the fore-named directions, then be you confident that the con|&s;equence of this dayes &s;ervice will be comfortable. Although your weakne&s;&s;es are many and great, yet if your hearts be herein found upright with God, you may hopefully per&s;wade your &s;elves that the Lord will &s;o far regard his own ordinance, and have re|&s;pect unto the mediation of Chri&s;t (<HI>the Me&s;&s;enger, the Media|tour of the new-Covenant</HI>) that your worke &s;hall be crowned with good &s;ucce&s;&s;e. You heard before, that <HI>Enemy-conquering providences</HI> made way unto the exhortation in the Text, <HI>Vow and pay unto the Lord your God.</HI> And I conceive that the ver&s;e following is con&s;iderable, being the language of faith; <HI>He &s;hall cut off the &s;pirit of Princes, he is terrible to the Kings of the earth:</HI> The mo&s;t potent adver&s;aries of the Church &s;hall be brought down, by holy Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping with God.</P>
<P>Now this lets me into the con&s;ideration of my next Doctrine;</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doctr."> <HI>That vows made, mu&s;t be paid unto the Lord our God.</HI></P>
<P>Although a vow mu&s;t not be made a bond of iniquity, and there|fore unlawfull vows rather call for repentance then performance, (as <HI>Davids</HI> ra&s;h revengefull re&s;olution again&s;t churli&s;h <HI>Nabal.</HI>)</P>
<P>Yet &s;uch Covenants as we make according to Gods will, we mu&s;t make good, in con&s;cience to his commandment: <HI>Pay that which thou ha&s;t vowed</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon,) Better it is that thou &s;houlde&s;t not vow, then that thou &s;houldest vow and not pay it. Suffer not thy mouth to cau&s;e thy fle&s;h to &s;in,</HI> Eccle&s;. 5. 4, 5. The Scribes and Phari&s;ees were but &s;leighty &s;uperficiall Expo&s;itours of Gods Law, yet they were wont thus to <HI>publi&s;h Gods command: Thou &s;halt not for&s;wear thy &s;elf, but &s;halt performe unto the Lord thine oaths,</HI> Mat. 5. 33.</P>
<P>In the pro&s;ecution of this plain, profitable, &s;ea&s;onable and nece&s;|&s;ary point, I &s;hall faithfully endeavour three things. 1. <HI>To per&s;wade this duty by arguments.</HI> 2. <HI>To guide this practice by rules.</HI> 3. <HI>To promote your obedience herein, by &s;ome &s;hort directions.</HI></P>
<P>The motives whereby we may be induced to make good our hone&s;t and holy vows, &s;hall be ca&s;t under &s;everall heads, that my <NOTE PLACE="marg">Motives.</NOTE> progre&s;&s;e in them, may be the more ea&s;ie and edifying.</P>
<P N="1">1. From the nature of a vow in generall, and from &s;undry
<PB N="10" REF="8"> circum&s;tances con&s;iderable in <HI>our Covenant</HI> particularly.</P>
<P>In generall; 1. All vows are &s;acred obligations upon our con|&s;ciences: <HI>If any</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Mo&s;es) vow a vow unto the Lord, or &s;wear an oath, to binde his &s;oul with a bond,</HI> Numb. 30. 2. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> In this re&s;pect the holy P&s;almi&s;t re&s;olved upon this duty, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 56. 12. <HI>Thy vows are upon me, O Lord, I will render prai&s;es:</HI> And doubtle&s;&s;e every gracious heart will be &s;en&s;ible of this great &s;piri|tuall engagement. 2. By means of vows we become Gods deb|tors: Hence it is, that the Text calls for <HI>payment, Vow and pay.</HI> I here remember the &s;peech of the Prophet unto the poor widow, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 4. 7. <HI>Go &s;ell thine oyl, and pay the debt.</HI> And the Holy Gho&s;t gives in this, as a note of a wicked man, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 37. 21. <HI>He borroweth, and payeth not again.</HI> You <HI>Merchants,</HI> who have great dealings in the world, would you not be a&s;hamed to appear upon the <HI>Exchange,</HI> if you were not carefull to pay your debts unto men? Therefore, <HI>vow and pay unto the Lord your God.</HI></P>
<P>More particularly, there are &s;undry weighty circum&s;tances con|&s;iderable, in regard of our <HI>&s;olemn League and Covenant,</HI> which may worke our hearts unto &s;erious re&s;olutions to keep it.</P>
<P N="1">1. The materials of our Covenant are <HI>lawfull and ju&s;tifiable;</HI> we vow to <HI>endeavour the extirpation of Popery, Prelacy, Super|&s;tition, Here&s;ie, &s;chi&s;me, profanene&s;&s;e, and what&s;oever &s;hall be found to be contrary to &s;ound doctrine and the power of godline&s;&s;e.</HI> And have we not good rea&s;on thus to do? For have not the&s;e things much endangered the welfare both of this Church and Common|wealth already? and will not the indulging of &s;uch matters, prove de&s;tructive both to our publike hopes and comforts? We vow &s;incerely, really, con&s;tantly, through the grace of God, <HI>to en|deavour the reformation of Religion, in Doctrine, wor&s;hip, Di&s;|cipline and Government, according to the word of God, and the example of the be&s;t Reformed Churches.</HI> I &s;hall not need to &s;pe|cifie our engagements, <HI>to defend the Kings per&s;on and authority in the pre&s;ervation of the true Religion, to pre&s;erve the priviledges of Parliament, as al&s;o to continue a firme peace and union be|tween the Kingdoms of</HI> England <HI>and</HI> Scotland. The&s;e and other things expre&s;&s;ed in the Covenant, are by you Covenanters account|ed ju&s;t and equall. I remember <HI>Davids</HI> re&s;olution, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 106. <HI>I have &s;worn and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous
<PB N="11" REF="8"> judgements.</HI> And if we judge the materials of our Covenant righ|teous, we &s;hould in that regard lay the greater charge upon our con|&s;ciences to keep it.</P>
<P N="2">2. Our vows are <HI>deliberate.</HI> The nature of this ordinance hath been unfolded, the &s;everall Articles in the Covenant have been con&s;idered of, and therefore the rather to be ob&s;erved. Ra&s;h vows binde con&s;cience, if the keeping of them prove only in inexpedien|cies prejudiciall to our &s;elves, and contradict not any of Gods ever|binding laws. Therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> calling for the payment of vows, tells people, that they mu&s;t not thinke to put off that obliga|tion, by &s;aying, <HI>It was an errour, Eccl.</HI> 5. an incon&s;iderate over&s;ight. And we all know, that when <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was bound to the <HI>Gibeonites</HI> by an oath, through a mi&s;take, being over-reached by a cheat, <HI>All the Princes &s;aid to all the Congregation, We have &s;worn unto them by the Lord God of I&s;rael, now therefore we may not touch them, Jo&s;h.</HI> 9. 19. How then &s;hall we be excu&s;ed, if our premiditated vows be not performed?</P>
<P N="3">3. We have vowed before many <HI>witne&s;&s;es.</HI> Men who &s;tand much upon their credit and reputation in the world, will be taken with this argument. When King <HI>Herod</HI> was caught in a &s;nare, by his heady vow, and being troubled, becau&s;e the dancing Dam&s;ell demanded the head of <HI>John</HI> the Bapti&s;t, it is &s;aid, <HI>Neverthele&s;&s;e for the oath &s;ake, and them which &s;ate with him at meat, he com|manded it to be given her, Mat.</HI> 14. 9. Con&s;ider how many have &s;een you lift up your hands unto the mo&s;t High po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of Hea|ven and earth, in holy Covenanting: Remember how many thou|&s;ands know that the vows of God are upon you, and be you hereby prevailed with to keep touch with him.</P>
<P N="4">4. Hereto I might add the con&s;ideration, both of the <HI>multitude of all rankes, qualities, callings in this Kingdom, in</HI> Scotland, <HI>Parliament-men, Souldiers, Citizens, Divines,</HI> &amp;c. who are here|in mutually engaged with us. I might al&s;o minde you of the often reiterations and renewings of your vows and Covenants: Doubt|le&s;&s;e the&s;e things will not be &s;leighted by them who are ingenuous; but I may not in&s;i&s;t upon them, having divers other heads of argu|ments to &s;peak unto.</P>
<P>The &s;econd &s;ort of arguments to per&s;wade Covenant-keeping, &s;hall be taken from our God, the only true and ble&s;&s;ed God, unto
<PB N="12" REF="9"> whom our vows oblige us. And under this head the&s;e particulars are con&s;iderable: 1. His Maje&s;ty takes exact notice of all &s;uch engagements, together with all the circum&s;tances of time, place, companies, occa&s;ions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which belong thereto: <HI>O God thou ha&s;t heard my vows,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David, P&s;al</HI> 61. 5.</P>
<P N="2">2. His Highne&s;&s;e well remembers the&s;e obligations: The Lord rounds <HI>Jacob</HI> in the ear with this <HI>Memento, I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointest the pillar, and where thou vowe&s;t a vow unto me,</HI> Gen. 31. 13.</P>
<P N="3">3. He calls for paiment, he will not be taken off from demand|ing his debt in this kinde: <HI>When thou &s;halt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou &s;halt not be &s;lack to pay it, for the Lord thy God will &s;urely require it of thee,</HI> Deut. 23. 21.</P>
<P N="4">4. He is the mo&s;t High po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our and commander of Heaven and earth. The P&s;almi&s;t layes &s;trength upon this con&s;ideration, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 14. <HI>Pay thy vows unto the mo&s;t High.</HI> And this thought was prevailing upon the hearts of <HI>Jephihah</HI> and his daughter, in a ca&s;e very difficult in a cour&s;e very cro&s;&s;e to the &s;tream and &s;trength of naturall affection: you all know his vow, therefore I &s;hall not need to name it, but marke I pray you the expre&s;&s;ions, both of the father and of his childe, <HI>Judg.</HI> 11. 35, 36. <HI>I have opened my mouth</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Jephthah) unto Jehovah, and I cannot go back. And &s;he &s;aid to him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto Jehovah, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. He is a mo&s;t faithfull Covenant-keeping God: <HI>He is God, the faithfull God, which keepeth Covenant and mercy,</HI> Deut. 7. 9. Although meer mercy move his Maje&s;ty to make Covenant, yet will he make it good: How much more &s;hould we keep our holy Covenants, which both duty and nece&s;&s;ity call us to renew.</P>
<P N="6">6. Although our well-doing, doth not, cannot reach the Lord with advantage, yet his Highne&s;&s;e will account him&s;elf honoured by our faithfullne&s;&s;e in Covenant: Hence it is, that the&s;e two du|ties are conjoyned in the Scripture; <HI>Offer to God thanke&s;giving, and pay thy vows unto the most High, P&s;al.</HI> 50. 14. And <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 65. 1. <HI>Prai&s;e waiteth for thee O God in Sion, and unto thee &s;hall the vow be performed.</HI> Con&s;ider I pray you, Do we not owe God prai&s;e? Do we not pray, <HI>Hallowed be thy Name?</HI> Will it not be
<PB N="13" REF="9"> our Honours to &s;et the Crown on his head? Therefore let us all re|&s;olve to performe <HI>our vows unto the Lord our God.</HI></P>
<P>The third head of arguments follows to be con&s;idered, and it is drawn from the various precious benefits to be received, by con|&s;cientious <NOTE PLACE="marg">Motive 3.</NOTE> Covenant-keeping with the Lord our God. 1. Care in this kinde will evidence our effectuall conver&s;ion to God. The Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> foretelling the calling of the Gentiles, &s;peaketh thus, <HI>The Lord &s;hall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians &s;hall know the Lord in that day, and &s;hall do &s;acrifice and oblation, yea they &s;hall vow a vow unto the Lord, and performe it,</HI> I&s;a. 19. 21.</P>
<P N="2">2. Good Covenant-keepers lye very near unto the Lords warme heart, he loves them dearly: <HI>If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then ye &s;hall be a peculiar trea&s;ure unto me above all people,</HI> Exod. 19. 5. Covenant-keepers are Gods jewels, and all other per&s;ons are accounted as the lumber of the world, in compari&s;on of them. Men will adventure much to ingratiate them|&s;elves with great ones; and &s;hall not we pay our vows, that we may enjoy the favour, the e&s;timation of God, who&s;e loving kindnes is better then life?</P>
<P N="3">3. Hence i&s;&s;ueth hope to prevaile with the Lord by our pray|ers: The P&s;almi&s;t having &s;aid, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 65. 1. <HI>&V;nto thee O God &s;hall the vow be performed;</HI> he adds immediatly, <HI>O thou that heare&s;t prayers.</HI> And &s;o &s;oon as this coun&s;ell was given, <HI>P&s;al</HI> 50. 14. <HI>Pay thy vows unto the mo&s;t High,</HI> in the next ver&s;e, this follows by way of connexion, <HI>And call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou &s;halt glorifie me.</HI> As you de&s;ire the audience of your prayers, make you con&s;cience to pay your vows.</P>
<P N="4">4. The &s;anctification of all our concernments, is a rich privi|ledge appertaining unto hone&s;t Covenant-keepers: <HI>All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto them who keep his Cove|nant, P&s;al.</HI> 25. 10. Gods &s;weet mercy, in the performance of his promi&s;es, runs throug the veins of all his providences for the good of them, who in reference to Covenant, keep touch with him: And who knows fully the worth of this one prerogative; therefore as you de&s;ire a &s;hare herein, make con&s;cience to <HI>pay your vows unto the Lord your God.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. What need I de&s;cend unto any more particulars, &s;eeing all the
<PB N="14" REF="10"> precious promi&s;es of the Covenant of Go&s;pel-grace, are a&s;&s;ured up|on them, who are faithfull in Covenant with God. The P&s;almi&s;t having moved this que&s;tion, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 24. 3. <HI>Who &s;hall a&s;cend into the hill of the Lord, and who &s;hall &s;tand in his holy place?</HI> part of his an&s;wer is this; <HI>He that hath not &s;worn deceitfully, he &s;hall re|ceive the ble&s;&s;ing from the Lord, and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e from the God of his &s;alvation:</HI> Therefore be prevailed with through holy &s;elfe|love and de&s;ires of ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e, <HI>to pay your vows unto the Lord your God.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. And yet once more give me leave to pre&s;&s;e this argument <HI>ab utili,</HI> upon the hearts of you who are affectionate parents: I know your bowels earn towards your children, and you de&s;ire their good, as your own comfort; now be you well a&s;&s;ured, that you can take no cour&s;e, which will be more probable to entaile Gods ble&s;|&s;ing upon your po&s;terity, then this of con&s;cientious Covenant|keeping with God. How admirable and de&s;irable is that promi&s;e in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 103. 17, 18. <HI>The mercy of the Lord is from everla&s;ting to everla&s;ting, upon them that fear him, and his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e unto childrens children, to &s;uch as keep his covenant?</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e benefits of Covenant-keeping I leave in your bo&s;omes, de&s;iring that through the ble&s;&s;ing of God, they may do you good.</P>
<P>I might here mention a further motive, to per&s;wade the paiment <NOTE PLACE="marg">Motive 4.</NOTE> of vows, from the &s;ad con&s;equences of fal&s;ene&s;&s;e and unfaithfull|ne&s;&s;e in this kinde. 1. The P&s;almi&s;t gives in this as a character of a wicked man, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 55. 20. <HI>He hath broken</HI> (or profaned) <HI>his Co|venant.</HI> 2. All the &s;ins of men are greatly aggravated by this circum&s;tance, that they are not only tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions of Gods Law, but violations of their own vows. Thus <HI>Solomon</HI> brands the adul|terous woman, <HI>Prov.</HI> 2. 17, <HI>She forgetteth the Covenant of her God.</HI> 3. Breach of Covenant brings Gods burning di&s;plea&s;ure up|on people: This thought did awe <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> in reference to their ra&s;h League made with the <HI>Gibeonites,</HI> Jo&s;h. 9. 20. <HI>We will let them live, le&s;t wrath be upon us, becau&s;e of the oath which we &s;ware un|to them.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. Gods anger in this kinde kindled, may bring a con&s;umption upon our hopes and comforts. That Item which the <HI>Wi&s;e man</HI> gives in this ca&s;e &s;hould be &s;eriou&s;ly minded, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 5. 5, 6. <HI>Better it is that thou &s;houldest not vow, then that thou &s;houlde&s;t vow and not
<PB N="15" REF="10"> pay; wherefore &s;hould God be angry at thy voice, and de&s;troy the worke of thine hands?</HI> Never were greater works under hand for Church and Common-wealth, in our dayes, or the dayes of our fore-fathers, then are in agitation among&s;t us at this day; there|fore let us take heed, le&s;t our unfaithfullne&s;&s;e in our Covenant pro|voke the Lord to da&s;h all our endeavours into pieces, with the di&s;|appointment of all our golden hopes. Gods cur&s;e is annexed unto his Covenant, to enforce the keeping of it. It is &s;aid, <HI>Neh.</HI> 10. 29. <HI>They entered into a cur&s;e, and into an oath to walke in the Law of God.</HI> And the &s;word of cruell war is drawn by the hand of Di|vine ju&s;tice, <HI>to avenge the quarrel of the Covenant,</HI> Lev. 26. 25. This &s;word of Civil war is eating mans fle&s;h, and drinking mans blood in this Kingdom at this day; and how can we expect that the Almighty &s;hould command it to returne into its &s;cabbard, and to be quiet, if we continue carele&s;&s;e in keeping Covenant? I pro|fe&s;&s;e (beloved) that I have often trembled to thinke upon that di&s;|covery of Gods &s;everity, in puni&s;hing <HI>I&s;rael with three yeers fa|mine in Davids time, becau&s;e Saul had broken the ra&s;h vow,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 2 1.</NOTE> <HI>which the Elders of I&s;rael had made long before with the Gibeon|ites.</HI> For thus I rea&s;on, If the violation of an unadvi&s;ed oath with &s;ubtill &s;infull men, by the po&s;terity of them who made it, did bring a &s;ore nationall judgement; what then may we expect from the hand of God, for contradicting both by words and deeds, both by opinions and practices, the &s;olemn &s;acred League and Covenant which our &s;elves have upon deliberation, both made and renewed with man and God? The&s;e are weighty con&s;iderations, and worthy your often and &s;erious thoughts, unto which many more might be added; but I forbear the enlarging of this &s;ubject, becau&s;e you have &s;o fully been acquainted with this matter, by my Reverend bro|ther,<NOTE PLACE="marg">M. <HI>Calamy.</HI></NOTE> who hath largely to &s;atisfaction &s;et forth the exceeding great danger of truce-breaking, from 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 1. <HI>Covenant-breaking makes the times perillous:</HI> unfaithfullne&s;&s;e in Covenant is a Land|de&s;troying, a Kingdom-devouring &s;in.</P>
<P>Now (my beloved) to &s;umme up all my arguments: If there be in your hearts, 1. Either re&s;pect unto the &s;acred obligation of a &s;o|lemn vow, 2. Or unto the mo&s;t High po&s;&s;e&s;&s;our of Heaven and earth. 3. If you either prize the promi&s;es of his grace, and de&s;ire to be partakers thereof through Chri&s;t; 4. Or dread the di&s;co|veries
<PB N="16" REF="11"> of the wrath of the Almighty, and would pre&s;erve your &s;elves and your po&s;terity, your &s;elves and the Kingdom from breaking blows of vengeance, <HI>pay your vows unto the Lord your God.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e arguments I hope will not be &s;leighted by you: God for|bid, that matters of &s;o great, &s;o publike concernment, &s;hould be di&s;regarded by them, who profe&s;&s;e &s;o much zeal and re&s;pect to God and to his cau&s;e, unto the pro&s;perity of this famous City, and the wellfare both of Church and Common-wealth, as you <HI>worthy Citizens</HI> have done, and per&s;evere to do: Therefore I proceed in this &s;ervice, to &s;et down &s;ome Scripture-rules to guide you in the Faithfull <HI>payment of your vows unto the Lord your God.</HI></P>
<P>Pay your good vows <HI>univer&s;ally: Pay thy vows,</HI> &s;aith the P&s;alm|i&s;t, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rule 1.</NOTE> <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 50. 14. All thy vows, none excepted; what&s;oever you have vowed according to his word, you mu&s;t make good according to his command: Thus much is open in the text, <HI>vow and pay unto the Lord your God.</HI> Take good King <HI>Jo&s;iah</HI> for a pre&s;ident for your paterne in this particular, of whom it is thus &s;aid, upon his covenanting with God, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 34. 33. <HI>And Jo&s;iah took away all the abominations, out of all the countries which pertained to the children of I&s;rael, and made all that were pre&s;ent in I&s;rael to &s;wear, even to &s;erve the Lord their God.</HI> You &s;ee that he &s;pares nothing, no where within the reach of his authority, which might be di&s;plea&s;ing unto his God, or de&s;tructive to his people. I pray you peru&s;e the particulars to be oppo&s;ed by vertue of your Covenant, <HI>Popery, Prelacy, Profanene&s;&s;e, Schi&s;me, Here&s;ie;</HI> and do not dare to indulge any abomination, which you have vowed to oppo&s;e: Take heed that no &s;infull bia&s;&s;e of near relations, or any &s;elf-advan|tages, take you off from your faithfullne&s;&s;e in this kinde. The Holy Gho&s;t makes this a character of an heir of Heaven, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 15. 4. <HI>He &s;weares and keeps it, though to his own hinderance:</HI> Therefore let not fear of lo&s;ing a cu&s;tomer, a friend, an office, a good bargain, or any other outward advantage, hinder you in keeping your Cove|nant. I will not further enlarge this head, which I leave to your thoughts, but will conclude the rule, with reading the practice of King <HI>A&s;a</HI> in the pur&s;uance of his Covenant, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 15. 16. <HI>And al&s;o concerning Maachah the mother of A&s;a the King, he remo|ved her from being Queen, becau&s;e &s;he had made an Idol in a grove; And A&s;a cut down her Idol, and &s;tamped it, and burnt it at the
<PB N="17" REF="11"> brook Kidron.</HI> There are Idols of mens heads; and of mens hands, there are <HI>Idol-opinions</HI> and <HI>Idol-practices</HI> to be oppo&s;ed by vertue of our Covenant, and you mu&s;t beware le&s;t through re&s;pect of per|&s;ons, you prove partiall and unfaithfull.</P>
<P><HI>When thou &s;halt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou &s;halt not be &s;lack to pay it,</HI> Deut. 23. 21. <HI>And, thou &s;halt not defer to</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rule 2.</NOTE> <HI>pay it,</HI> Eccle&s;. 5. 4. I might here &s;peak much to per&s;wade the &s;pee|dy paiment of our vows; hereby your comfort will be increa&s;ed, and the publike worke of reformation quickned and expedited, your acts will be exemplary and of common influence both thorow the City and the whole Kingdom. How many thou&s;ands enquire, what is done in <HI>London</HI> again&s;t Popery, Profanene&s;&s;e, Schi&s;me and Here&s;ie, in the pur&s;uance of their &s;olemn League and Covenant? The &s;ea&s;onablene&s;&s;e of an action betters it, doubles it: <HI>Bis dat qui cit&ograve; dat:</HI> and I may truly &s;ay in the ca&s;e under hand, <HI>Bis facit qui cit&ograve; facit:</HI> ply the work of reformation now it is upon the wheels, and you may do much worke in a little time: <HI>principium est di|midium totius;</HI> gain-&s;ay growing evils, tread upon the Cocka|trice in the &s;hell, oppo&s;e tho&s;e opinions and practices in the bud, in the birth, which if &s;uffered to grow, to live longer, will threaten the peace both of Church and &s;tate; by delayes your own guilt will be multiplied and greatened, your hopes of reformation will be enfeebled, and the whole Kingdom endangered: Bu&s;ine&s;&s;es of ne|ce&s;&s;ity call for quick di&s;patch? and is there any worke of greater concernment, then the worke of your God, in endeavouring your own reformation, and the reformation of his Church according to his word, which is the matter of your Covenant? I remember the words of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to <HI>Aaron, Go quickly to the Congregation, for there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the plague is begun, Num.</HI> 16. 46. And it is &s;aid that <HI>Aaron did run.</HI> Blame me not, but bear with me, I be&s;eech you, if I appear warme, in per&s;wading your &s;peed in acting according to your Covenant, for I &s;peak for the &s;afety of a &s;inking Kingdom. Are we not all on a flame? which way can you ca&s;t your eyes, but you &s;hall &s;ee the &s;parkes of unbro|therly contentions, ri&s;ing as out of a furnace? Alas, alas, we &s;hall burne into a&s;hes, and from confu&s;ions fall into a ruinous heape, if through Gods ble&s;&s;ing upon Covenant-keeping-endeavours, our mi&s;ery be not prevented.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="12">
<P>Pay your vows <HI>boldly,</HI> with &s;o much openne&s;&s;e, that the wit|ne&s;&s;e of your bonds may be witne&s;&s;es likewi&s;e of your faithfull|ne&s;&s;e <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rule 3.</NOTE> in di&s;charging them: The re&s;olution of <HI>David</HI> is herein imi|table, which he expre&s;&s;eth once and again in the &s;ame P&s;alme, <HI>I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the pre&s;ence of all his people, in the pre&s;ence of all his people, yea in the midst of thee, O Jeru&s;alem, P&s;al.</HI> 116. 14, 18, 19. Is it any &s;hame for a man to be hone&s;t, and to pay his debts? Wherefore then &s;hould men be loth to appear in the pur&s;uance of their Covenants? Act &s;o publikely, &s;o couragiou&s;|ly for a full reformation according to the word of God, and again&s;t Malignancy, Sedition, Here&s;ie, together with all other things de|&s;tructive to the welfare of the three Kingdoms, that both City and Countrey may under&s;tand your undaunted re&s;olutions to keep Covenant with your God: And if in this way of zeal and faith|fullne&s;&s;e, you &s;hould meet with checks and affronts, make ye that an&s;wer unto your oppo&s;ers, which brave-&s;pirited <HI>David</HI> made unto mocking <HI>Michal, If this be to be vile, I will yet be more vile,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.</P>
<P>Keep Covenant with the Lord <HI>con&s;cientiou&s;ly:</HI> Have re&s;pect unto God in paying as in making vows: My text holds forth this <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rule 4.</NOTE> openly, as many other parallel Scriptures, which I have formerly made u&s;e of. What&s;oever we do, which is materially comprehend|ed in our Covenant, we &s;hould do it, <HI>becau&s;e of the oath of God, Eccle&s;.</HI> 8. 2. Do not only intend man-plea&s;ing, or &s;elfe-&s;eeking in the pur&s;uance of your Covenant; be not popular and vain-glorious, but &s;incere and &s;ingle-hearted in this &s;ervice. As in other acts of obedience, &s;o in this of Covenant-keeping, have an eye unto your heavenly father <HI>who &s;ees in &s;ecreet, and he will reward you openly.</HI> God forbid, God forbid that any one of you &s;hould act again&s;t your brethren with an envious or malicious &s;pirit, under pretence of making good your Covenant. O take heed unto your &s;elves, that you di&s;grace not this holy ordinance, nor open the mouths of them, who maligne our Covenant, and would upon &s;uch like ob&s;erva|tions, reproachfully a&s;per&s;e both you and it. I will conclude this rule, with the caution given by worthy <HI>Nehemiah: Ought ye not to walke in the fear of our God, becau&s;e of the reproach of our ene|mies?</HI> Neh. 5. 9.</P>
<P>Be vigorous in the payment of your vows: The command of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rule 5.</NOTE>
<PB N="19" REF="12"> God given unto <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> for the guiding of this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, is here very con&s;iderable, <HI>Le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 22. 21. <HI>Who&s;oever offereth a &s;acrifice to accompli&s;h his vow, it &s;hall be perfect to be accepted, there &s;hall be no blemi&s;h in it.</HI> When you pay your debts to God, bring your be&s;t coyn; put not off your light gold to God; imploy and improve your very be&s;t for your God; give him the flower of your wi&s;e|dom, &s;trength, authority and intere&s;ts; &s;it down and con&s;ider where your chiefe&s;t ability lyes, and re&s;olve with that to pay your vows. Say thus unto your own &s;ouls &s;eriou&s;ly in &s;ecret; I will beat mine own brains by &s;tudy, I will &s;tir up my be&s;t friends by importunity, and I will indu&s;triou&s;ly take all cour&s;es within the compa&s;&s;e of my generall and particular calling, that my &s;elfe and my family, that this Church and Common-wealth may be reform|ed, and that unity betwixt <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland,</HI> may be pre|&s;erved according to <HI>the &s;olemne League and Covenant:</HI> to quicken your care in this kinde, remember tho&s;e &s;mart words, <HI>Mal.</HI> 1. 14. <HI>Cur&s;ed be the deceiver, who hath a male in his flock, and voweth and &s;acrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, &s;aith the Lord of ho&s;ts, and my Name is dreadfull among the heathen.</HI> Look to it therefore, I be&s;eech you, thinke not to put God off, with &s;upine, &s;uperficiall &s;leightne&s;&s;e in Covenant-keep|ing: If you have male-con&s;olations, male-affections, male-en|deavours, male-adventures for other things, God will not ac|cept your female, your cold, faint, feeble actings for him, in the payment of your vows: Therefore if you have any talent bet|ter then ordinary, trade that for your God, in the pur&s;uance of your Covenant.</P>
<P>Keep Covenant with the Lord <HI>con&s;tantly: I will &s;ing prai&s;es</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rule 6.</NOTE> <HI>to thy Name for ever</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David,) that I may daily performe my vows,</HI> P&s;al 61. 8. you mu&s;t not be like tho&s;e Tenants, who bring in their rents readily, and mi&s;&s;e not a day for the fir&s;t year, but grow carele&s;&s;e afterward, in making paiment according to their compacts and agreements. The &s;ame heat which is in your hearts to day (<HI>this day of your Covenant-renewing,</HI>) for reform|ation according to Gods word, and again&s;t the hindrances and hinderers thereof, mu&s;t be kept burning in your bo&s;omes &s;o long as you &s;hall live. It is to be bewailed with tears of blood, that the tract of time takes off the fervency of mens &s;pirits for God
<PB N="20" REF="13"> in the worke of vowed-reformation. How have we lo&s;t our fir&s;t love? How is our zeal for good, and again&s;t evil of late abated? The time was, when our Covenant was much in our thoughts, much in our mouthes, when we moved others, and provoked our &s;elves to make con&s;cience to keep it: but now (<HI>I am a&s;hamed to speake it,</HI>) our Covenant is forgotten, our Covenant is laid a&s;ide; yea (O that I had not occa&s;ion to add) many repent their taking of the Covenant, and &s;ome are not afraid to plead again&s;t it: I heartily wi&s;h, that the true cau&s;es of this great change were well enquired after. My beloved, Is Church-reformation ac|cording to Scripture grown le&s;&s;e de&s;ireable? Are pure ordinan|ces le&s;&s;e lovely in our eyes? Is there now le&s;&s;e danger of our un|doing by <HI>malignancy, popery, divi&s;ions and here&s;ie,</HI> then hereto|fore? <HI>Remember, I pray you, from whence you are fallen, and do your first works,</HI> in reference to your Covenant, the obligation whereof continues upon your con&s;ciences. Our God <HI>keeps Co|venant to a thou&s;and generations,</HI> Deut. 7. 9. Let his example in this particular per&s;wade your con&s;tancy. <HI>Be not weary of well doing;</HI> be not di&s;couraged by di&s;appointments&punc; be not beaten off by difficulties, delayes, oppo&s;itions; but proceed according to your callings and conditions, to promote that ble&s;&s;ed reformation which is under hand: <HI>In due time you &s;hall reap, if you faint not; Finis coronat opus;</HI> Be you faithfull in your Covenant unto death, and you &s;hall receive the crown of life.</P>
<P>I have done with my Rules; now give me leave to give in &s;ome few helps that you may act accordingly, and I will con|clude all.</P>
<P>That you may be able to keep touch with God in point of Cove|nant, take the&s;e very &s;hort directions.</P>
<P N="1">1. Worke well into your hearts the knowledge of all the fore|mentioned <NOTE PLACE="marg">Directions.</NOTE> particulars produced to per&s;wade Covenant-keeping: <HI>A wi&s;e man</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon) is &s;trong, yea, a man of knowledge increa&s;eth strength</HI> (or &s;trengtheneth might,) <HI>Prov.</HI> 24. 5. Scri|pture-truths clearly under&s;tood, convey according to Gods Ordi|nance, &s;pirituall abilities into the &s;ouls of men to act accordingly; As the warme beams of the &s;ummer &s;un admini&s;ter vivacity to the creatures, both vegetative and &s;en&s;itive: Therefore I humbly ad|vi&s;e you, to put your &s;elves often under the power of tho&s;e truths,
<PB N="21" REF="13"> which may convince you of the nece&s;&s;ity and equity of paying your vows unto the Lord your God; and I doubt not, but by means of &s;erious meditation, you &s;hall finde more activity herein to do your duty: <HI>While I was mu&s;ing</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) the fire burned, P&s;al.</HI> 39. 3. The bellows of meditation will produce the flame of zeal, out of the &s;mall heat of holy de&s;ires to keep Covenant with God.</P>
<P N="2">2. Act con&s;cientiou&s;ly, according to that mea&s;ure of &s;trength which you have received. We all know by experience, that exer|ci&s;e increa&s;eth bodily &s;trength, and que&s;tionle&s;&s;e Chri&s;tians finde the truth hereof in their &s;ouls. <HI>Solomon</HI> a&s;&s;ures us, <HI>Prov.</HI> 10. 29. <HI>The way of the Lord is &s;trength to the upright:</HI> The further we walke on in the wayes of faithfullne&s;&s;e with God, and for God, the more able we &s;hall be to make good our foederall engagements un|to his Maje&s;ty. Do you not all remember that famous &s;tory of the well-minded widow, lamenting her inability to pay her debts, who&s;e little &s;tock of oyl was multiplied by pouring forth, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 4. I be&s;eech you make a &s;pirituall improvement of this experi|ment; give out tho&s;e gifts, graces, which you have received in the paiment of your vows, and be you confident of increa&s;e: In this &s;en&s;e <HI>habenti dabitur;</HI> trade your two talents, or your five for your Ma&s;ters u&s;e, and they &s;hall be doubled, <HI>ari&s;e and be doing, and the Lord will be with you.</HI> Many of you know to your comfort, that a &s;mall &s;tock traded, is grown up to a great e&s;tate; I pray you make practicall application.</P>
<P N="3">3. Minde your &s;elves, and minde one another often of your &s;o|lemne Covenant: This was Gods own direction in this ca&s;e, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 17. 39, <HI>The Covenant which I have made with you, ye &s;hall not forget.</HI> Among men, many promi&s;es are not performed, becau&s;e they are not remembred: And &s;o it is likewi&s;e in many of our obligations unto God, forgetfullne&s;&s;e is &s;ometimes one cau&s;e of &s;ome unfaithfullne&s;&s;e. The P&s;almi&s;ts connexion, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 103. 18. is con&s;iderable; <HI>Tho&s;e that keep his Covenant, and tho&s;e who re|member his Commandements to do them.</HI> There is an Order of Parliament, requiring Mini&s;ters to reade the &s;olemne League and Covenant in the Congregation, upon our Monethly Fa&s;t dayes; And I humbly move, that there may be an Order of the Common-Councel of this famous City, that the Covenant which you this
<PB N="22" REF="14"> day renew, may once at lea&s;t in every quarter of the year be read among&s;t you; by means hereof, you would be quickned to appear both jointly and &s;everally, in cour&s;es to promote both private and publike reformation according to your Covenant.</P>
<P N="4">4. Seek &s;trength from Heaven, by faith and prayer: The holy Apo&s;tle, holding up to Je&s;us Chri&s;t by humble confidence, could &s;ay, <HI>I can do all through Christ strengthening me,</HI> Phil. 4. 13. And the P&s;almi&s;t makes this report of the &s;ucce&s;&s;e of his prayer; <HI>In the day when I cried, thou an&s;wered&s;t me, and strengthenedst me with &s;trength in my &s;oul,</HI> P&s;al. 138. 3. Your &s;elves be&s;t know, wherein Covenant-keeping &s;ticks mo&s;t with your &s;elves, you are acquainted with your own <HI>remoraes,</HI> your own difficulties in this &s;ervice. Con&s;ider that your helpe lies in the Lord your God, therefore fetch it thence by fervent believing prayers; plead the promi&s;es of Gods Covenant with you through Chri&s;t, that you through him may be able to deal faithfully, to do wor|thily; and be you confident that the Lord will ne|ver be wanting unto the &s;oul which &s;eeks him in truth, <HI>He hath not &s;aid to the hou&s;e of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="14">
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